Master, Pokémon?
by Saphroneth
Summary: Pokémon anime AU. Ash Ketchum has something of a secret. He can understand Pokémon... oh, yeah, and there's the thing where he's actually kind of one himself.
1. Chapter 1

This is made up of lots of small snippets in achronic order, posted in the order I wrote them - more than one a chapter, to get decent sized chapters.

Enjoy.

* * *

1: (First Movie)

* * *

Ash ran after the strange black Pokéball that had pulled Pikachu in.

How _dare_ this Mewtwo, whoever he was? He said he didn't want humans to control Pokémon, but then he started catching Pokémon himself!

Panting, Ash watched the 'ball ahead of him drop into a closing tunnel. He threw himself into a forwards skid, aiming to get in before the tunnel closed completely, but failed to make it – his shoes hit the metal with a _clack_ , as it hissed shut.

"Pikachu..." he said, softly.

Then turned.

"I don't care who you are!" Ash said, standing up and facing Mewtwo. "But you've got no right to take our friends!"

"Ash-" Brock began.

 _Foolish boy,_ Mewtwo said implacably. _I simply captured them – like you captured so many Pokémon._

"I did capture Pokémon!" Ash agreed. "But a lot of them came with me because they wanted to! And you're saying you're so much better, but you're not – you're just as much of a bully as the humans you met!"

 _I tire of your cheek,_ Mewtwo informed him, waving his hand. The hammer-blow of psionic force knocked Ash across the room, sending him sprawling, and a charm clinked unnoticed to the floor.

"Ergh..." Ash muttered, shaking his head, then got back up. "You're not going to stop me like that!"

 _Fool._ Mewtwo waved his hand again – and nothing happened at all.

Ash stepped forwards, then jogged, then broke into a run – as Mewtwo's frown deepened, and he began volleying in more powerful psychic attacks.

Just as the first one had, they did nothing at all.

"Ash!" Misty shouted. "Don't – he's far too powerful!"

"I don't care!" Ash retorted. "I have to save Pikachu!"

He swung a punch at Mewtwo, who dodged and countered with reflexive skill. His kick drove into Ash's ribs-

And Ash vanished.

In his place was a small black-and-maroon fox, who bounced on the steps before coming to a rest and pushing his hat out of his eyes.

"What the-" one of the other trainers said.

"Ash?" Brock asked, incredulous. "Is that you?"

"Why wouldn't it-" the Zorua began, then realized something. He glanced back at himself, then over where Mewtwo had knocked him down. "Oh no! I lost it!"

 _What is-_

"What did you lose?" the captured Nurse Joy asked, baffled.

"My mom gave it to me – she said it'd keep my disguise intact!" the Zorua said, loping over. He picked something up, and sighed in relief before transforming back. "Good-"

 _Why are you a Pokémon?_ Mewtwo asked, and this time Ash heard him as the charm negated his Type immunity.

"I've always been one," Ash replied, simply enough, and got back to his feet. "Mom taught me to disguise myself, and – well, I really wanted a Pokémon journey. I guess I hoped I could fit in better."

* * *

2: (Post-Indigo League)

* * *

"Okay, Ash, have you got everything?" Delia asked.

"Yeah, Mom!" Ash nodded firmly. "Everything's ready!"

"Are you sure?" she said, frowning. "It's a long way, the Orange Islands, so even if you're only going for a short time you have to have everything - I won't be able to pop over to give you something you forgot!"

"You didn't have to do that this time," her son mumbled.

"Because we checked everything and I put your charm in your pyjama pocket before you went to see Oak!" Delia reminded him. "If I hadn't done that, you'd have lost your illusion the first day, and then where'd you be?"

"But everyone knows now, and it's fine-"

"You mean your friends know," she corrected, then sighed. "Oh, sorry, Ash - I didn't mean this to turn into an argument. Come here."

Ash came obediently over, and she gave him a hug.

"I do worry about you," she whispered. "But this is the life you want, and I wouldn't take it from you."

Ash hugged her back, mumbling something.

"It's okay," she said. Then stood up, and began ticking things off on her fingers. "Charm?"

"Right here!" Ash said, tapping the enchanted pendant Delia'd had made over a decade ago. She inspected it, hand going unconsciously to its twin at her wrist, then nodded.

"Right. Hat?"

"Never take it off!"

"I know, I had to wash it while you were asleep..."

"Hey!" Ash called, annoyed, and she shook her head with a smile.

"Pokéballs?"

"All ready!"

Delia thought, for a moment, of the matched pair of Pokéballs in a thick-walled safe under the floorboards.

Even with their charms, it was best not to take risks.

"And I'm sure you've got your Pokédex, of course."

Ash blushed. "Uh... be right back!"

As she watched her son scamper upstairs for the computer which was ID, database and all sorts of other things, Delia Ketchum shook her head with a smile.

"Never change, Ash..."

* * *

3: (Sometime Johto)

* * *

"Gramps! Ash is a Pokémon!"

Oak nodded. "Hm, as I suspected. Gary, pass me that screwdriver, I'm afraid your Pokédex has a few-"

"Why aren't you more surprised by this, Gramps?" Gary asked, blinking. "I mean... wait."

His eyes narrowed. "You knew already, didn't you?"

"Well, I _did_ help his mother move in..." Professor Oak said, shrugging. "Didn't you wonder why he tended to be able to smell where you were hiding when you two were playing together?"

Gary gaped. "Wait - so that really _is_ how he always won? I thought it was a joke! That's why I said-"

He trailed off.

"I guess it's why he didn't age much?"

"Right," Oak confirmed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, we do need to fix this Pokédex of yours. There's a loose wire."

* * *

4: (Third Movie)

* * *

-Delia started forwards. "Ash, get down from there this second!"

"What did you say, momma?" a girl's voice asked from her side.

Delia was _nothing_ if not an experienced dissembler. She looked across at the girl, sat next to her on a bed, and smiled faintly. "Oh - nothing."

That seemed to satisfy both the Entei who had kidnapped her and the girl he had kidnapped her for.

Thinking back over what had happened while she was Hypnotized, Deila came to a few conclusions.

First - this was not the girl's fault. She'd heard of the Unown, crafters of illusions so real they could conjure a world from the thoughts in a single mind, and knew what they'd do with the contents of a six year old head.

Second - her son was a moron.

Ash was brave, loyal and loving, and dynamic to a fault - and this was the fault. Had he been thinking, instead of reacting, he'd have done this whole thing differently. Leave his pendant with Brock or Misty - they knew, it would be fine - and infiltrate using the abilities of the Zorua he was.

What was the point of being able to take the shape of a Pidgey if you never did?

After a moment, she sighed - quietly.

She'd just have to sort all this out herself.

Slowly, she unfastened the string wrapped around her wrist and lowered her own form-locker to the floor, before pushing it under the bed.

Delia Ketchum was _not_ going to be Hypnotized again.

* * *

Ash ran up the last flight of stairs, Pikachu at his heels. "Mom!"

"Ash!" his mother said, standing. "What, exactly, do you think you were doing?"

"But-" Ash stopped, bewildered.

 _"That's gratitude!"_ Pikachu said, sounding a bit offended.

"And none of your lip, Pikachu!" she added, sharply. "I-"

Molly stirred on the bed.

"The Unown created this place - and Entei," Ash said, trying to contribute, as Delia moved over to the bed. "Is he here?"

"He left a while ago," Delia said absently. "Molly?"

"Momma?" Molly asked, groggily.

"I'm not your real mother, sweetie," Delia said, trying to let her down gently.

The ground shook.

"Whoa!" Ash said, staggering, as crystal pillars formed out of the floor. They tried to separate him from his mother, but Delia finagled it so they were on the same side as the barrier formed.

Entei phased out of the floor, coat rippling. He glanced over at the still-sleepy Molly, then turned to Ash. _"Go. Leave us, or I will make you."_

"No way!" Ash said, clenching his fist. "I'm not leaving my Mom!"

 _"And you'll have to get through me first!"_ Pikachu added, cheeks sparking.

Delia coughed.

Entei half-turned, frowning, and then Delia hit him with a wave of choking darkness which sent him skidding halfway across the room.

"Mom!?" Ash gaped.

"It's called Night Daze, Ash," Delia informed him, as Entei shook his head.

"Well - yeah, but-"

 _"What is this?"_ Entei asked, and let out a roar. _"Why?"_

Ash's mother gave Molly a gentle push, back towards the bed, and fired another Night Daze.

 _"Your mom's scary, Ash,"_ Pikachu said, blinking in the afterimages from the Dark-type attack.

Entei, on the other hand, had been caught in both blasts. He shook his head again, and batted irritably at Delia on reflex.

He'd aimed for her torso, but the lingering effects of the Night Daze attacks threw him off. His paw-swipe just clipped Delia's hand, and her illusion - no longer shored up by the pendant - burst.

The sight of the parent he'd obtained for Molly abruptly turning into a five foot kitsune startled even the Unown-construct Entei. He blinked, baffled, and then Delia's clawed foot swept up and hit him somewhere sensitive.

Ash and Pikachu both winced as the Legendary Fire-type collapsed in a pained heap.

"You _don't_ threaten my son," Delia informed him, then reapplied her illusion. "Shall we go?"

"What's going on?" Molly asked.

The tower shook, crystal pillars trembling.

"...oh dear," the disguised Zoroark said, as the trembling increased. "Maybe I'll have to go reason with the Unown personally."

* * *

AN:

* * *

So, yes. This is an AU where Ash is a Zorua and his mother is a Zoroark.

I'll be posting more of what I've got written so far.

As noted above, this is NOT in chronological order - I wrote it in achronic order and that's the way it's getting posted. Each snippet mentions when it's set.

The form locking pendants, by the way, are magically enchanted. (Magic exists in the Pokémon world.) They're also made of Ring Targets, and as such negate a Dark-type's normal Psychic immunity as otherwise they'd be obvious.


	2. Chapter 2

5: (Pokémon Heroes)

* * *

The strange blur swept away, the wind it left as it flew making the wind-chimes tingle.

 _"Ow, ow, ow!"_ Pikachu said, bouncing to a stop, and Ash hurried over.

"Pikachu!" he said, bending down to cradle his friend, and then the blur came back again - crying out something he didn't quite parse.

Wincing, Ash lifted Pikachu out of the way with one hand and grabbed his pendant with the other.

Just as it came free, though, the girl stepped between him and the blur.

With a swash of wind, the blur skidded to a halt in mid-air - and, with a flash of light, revealed itself to be a Pokémon.

Latios! One of the ones on Misty's medallion!

 _"Sister!"_ it said, in that high-pitched voice. _"Get out of the way!"_

The girl shook her head firmly.

 _"Why are you-"_

Another head-shake.

Ash frowned, trying to work out what was going on, and then - another girl, looking exactly like the first one, caught his attention.

In the opinion of Ash Ketchum, she was quite unfair about who she thought had been doing what wrong. It wasn't like he came here to _catch_ Latios, he hadn't even known the Pokémon was here! (Or the garden, actually.)

* * *

The first girl - the one who wasn't Bianca and who seemed to be named after a Pokémon - grabbed Ash's arm, and pulled him around the edge of the lake to a simple wooden swing.

Still not entirely sure what he'd gotten himself into, Ash let himself be pulled along, and the girl put him quite firmly in the swing seat before jumping up on the back of it and starting to swing them.

"Uh... I thought Latias was meant to be the name of a Pokémon," Ash said.

There was a faint _twik_ as Pikachu slapped himself on the forehead, muttering something about how much of a dim-wit his trainer could be.

That was shortly followed by a bright flash of light, as the girl-Latias abruptly turned into _a_ Latias.

Ash blinked.

Then he grinned. "Cool!"

"Yes, Latios and Latias are quite-" Lorenzo began.

"I can do that too!" Ash went on, and promptly did.

With his charm in his pocket rather than around his neck, it was easy. There was a brief distortion, and a small black Zorua sat on the swing in his place.

Latias jumped. Since she was already floating in mid-air, this manifested in her recoiling several feet and ending up nearly upside down.

"How do you do it?" Ash asked, reaching up with one paw to adjust his hat and wobbling slightly as the swing swung. "My mom taught me, and it's kind of tricky getting everything solid... but she can do all kinds of-"

"You mean you're a Pokémon!?" Bianca said, finally shocked into speaking. "And you - you're a trainer? You can talk?"

"Yeah?" Ash said, a little defensively. "I worked for it just like everyone else did!"

 _"How do you talk like that?"_ Latias asked, recovering a little. _"I've never been able to make my illusion do that-"_

"Yeah - Mom said that you just have to learn the language the hard way," Ash told her, jumping off the swing now it was mostly settled down. "It's not easy... but I guess I could teach you, if I had to I mean..."

Latios looked a little worried at the light he could see in Latias' eyes. _"Sister... don't be hasty-"_

Latias overrode him. _"Can we start now?"_

"Sure!" Ash agreed readily. He reapplied his illusion, and slipped the pendant back on. "Okay, uh... is there somewhere we can sit down?"

* * *

"Okay, so..." Ash looked up for a moment as the wind rustled the leaves. "So, the way mom talks about it... Pokémon language is all about pronouncing things. So... uh... Pikachu's only got three syllables. Pi, Ka, Chu."

Latias nodded attentively. _"Right,"_ she said, her voice a slight coo. _"Isn't that obvious?"  
_  
"Well, yeah," Ash agreed. "It took me a while to get the hang of it again, though - I kind of got too used to human language when I was growing up. Right, uh..."

He pointed at Pikachu. "How do you say Latias' name?"

Pikachu spoke up promptly. "Pichu-ka!"

"Right," Ash said again. "But I say 'Latias'. That's how humans work - they have a lot more sounds they can do, and how they say them doesn't matter as much."

 _"But - you're a Pokémon, right?"_ Latios asked, from where he was trying not to look like he was eavesdropping.

"Yeah," Ash agreed, after a tiny pause. "But I got mostly-brought-up as a human, and I kinda forget sometimes."

 _"Only you, Ash..."_ Pikachu muttered.

Latias frowned. _"So... if I wanted to speak human, I'd need to learn all these different sounds?"  
_  
"That's right!" Ash nodded. "So your friend's called 'Bianca'. That's Bee-Ahn-Kah."

The Eon Pokémon frowned. "Eee-" she began, then frowned. "Eee?"

"The B sound is about opening your mouth as you say it," Ash told her, listening intently, and demonstrated. "B-ee."

Latias tried again. "Beyaou!"

"That's great! There was definitely a B in there, keep it up!"

 _"Do I have to learn all of these?"_ Latias asked. _"Humans have a lot of different sounds they make - do I have to learn how to pronounce all of them? Can't I just learn a few?"  
_  
"That's not how it works, sorry," Ash chuckled. "But once you do a few hundred you kind of get the hang of it. A lot of them are really similar!"

* * *

In the still of the night, Pokémon slept.

Latios lay in his customary perch on a tree limb, wondering at the events of the day in a drowsy half-awake state.

After so long, a trainer had entered the secret garden - and he was a Pokémon. One who, like them, hid himself behind illusion.

And he had a good heart, too - that much was obvious, as he'd spent so much time already helping Latias learn to speak that he'd fallen asleep here. Even if he couldn't finish teaching her by the time he had to leave, it was still an important step on a road she could continue to follow herself... and one which led to freedom.

And he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He loved his sister, and wanted to see her happy... but he wanted to be with her, as well, and there lay the problem.

Because Latios was increasingly sure that his sister's happiness lay beyond Altomare's walls and canals. It lay in the wider world.

But he was tied here.

He shifted slightly, and looked down at his sister's sleeping form - and blinked.

It looked like, in the hour or two since he'd last looked, she'd... well, the only valid term was _snuggled_... up to the boy (or, rather, the Pokémon in the form of a boy).

The Pikachu was asleep a few feet away, wearing Ash's hat. The overall effect was quite strange-

A sound interrupted his thoughts.

Latios blinked sleep from his eyes, stifled a yawn, and decided to go see what Lorenzo wanted.

As he took off, he stealthed - more habit than anything.

Below, half-alerted by the sound of her brother's yawn, Latias shifted a little. That in turn made Ash blink, startling awake, and he looked around in groggy confusion.

* * *

Latios skimmed along a little below the base of the canopy, headed for the entrance at a comparatively slow speed - for him, anyway.

What _was_ Lorenzo doing up at this hour? He wasn't young any more, he needed some-

The sight of two women - the _same_ two women Latias had described - was like a bucket of ice water.

How had they got into the garden?

That didn't matter right now. He had to warn Latias!

Turning, he caught sight of her - feathers tuned to invisibility, but lower and easier to spot.

 _Latias!_ he sent to her. _Look out!_

What?

she asked, a little sleepy-sounding. _What is it, brother-  
_  
A blast of energy shot out from the horn of the Ariados below. It reached out for Latias, and her brother dove to interpose himself - taking the attack instead.

But it never reached him. Instead, a black-maroon blur invisible until now in the shadows jumped into the path of the beam, letting out an _oof_ of pain but handling the Night Shade much better than Latios would have done, and then there was a sudden blast of electricity and the hostile Ariados collapsed from Pikachu's attack.

Landing with smoking fur, Ash - it had to be him - lunged at the Espeon.

He may have been a trainer rather than a battler by habit, but - as it transpired - Ash could _fight_. He smacked the Espeon in the side before she noticed he'd arrived, dodged away from a Swift and then kicked Espeon in the knee - which made her collapse in considerable pain.

Latios blinked. _Ouch..._

A moment later, a golden-winged Noctowl swooped down with eyes flashing, and both humans fell victim to a Hypnosis.

* * *

Some minutes later, everything was sorted out nicely. A distraught Latias had found Lorenzo collapsed in his boathouse, but he'd merely been knocked out by a Hypnosis - and once revived with a splash of water he'd hurried over to the garden, and taken the two Rockets and their Pokémon with him to report them as a break-in.

After he'd left, though, there was a somewhat awkward silence.

 _"You saved me,"_ Latias broke it, looking at Ash.

"Uh - yeah, I guess," Ash agreed. "It was nothing, really."

Neither Eon Pokémon thought it was nothing. Latias because he'd jumped in the way of an attack for her, and Latios because he was worried by the look in his sister's eyes...

* * *

6: (First movie)

* * *

"Mewtwo?" Ash asked, gazing up into the sky. "Where are you going?"

 _Where my heart can learn what yours knows so well,_ Mewtwo replied. _What transpired here I will always remember, but perhaps for you these events are best forgotten._

Then, suddenly, Ash found himself sitting with Brock and Misty, around a table in a glass-walled room.

He looked around quickly, and recognized it - the place they'd been before setting off for New Island.

"What did Mewtwo mean, best forgotten?" he asked, glancing around at his friends. "I mean-"

Misty blinked. "Pardon?"

"What do you mean, Ash?" Brock asked, and they missed the announcement as the storm abruptly ended.

"You know!" Ash said defensively. "Right before he teleported us all back here, I guess - I mean, maybe it'd be simpler if no-one knew I'm a Zorua, but that's-"

 _"You're a what!?"_ Pikachu asked, from his shoulder.

"What's a Zorua?" Misty said. "How can - is that a Pokémon?"

At roughly this point, Ash realized that Mewtwo must have done something to everyone's memories - but missed his.

"...oops."

* * *

AN:

* * *

Caution: this fic contains shipping.

It's not all about the shipping, though...

This is three snippets that were close together pulled into one, followed by a bit which explains just _how_ Ash's secret came out... the second time.


	3. Chapter 3

7: (Just before the match with Ritchie)

* * *

"We've got to get to the stadium," Ash said, sounding a little worried. "The match with Richie's soon - Pidgeotto, can you tow the balloon?"

 _"It's heavy-looking, but I'll-"_ his faithful Flying-type began.

 _"Ash, wait!"_ Pikachu interrupted.

"What?" Ash asked.

Pikachu frowned. _"Well... how much do you weigh? I mean,_ really _weigh? In your normal form?"  
_  
"This _is_ my - oh, right," Ash said, realizing. He frowned, trying to remember. "Uh... not sure. Not much... about twelve kilos?"

Pikachu glanced at Pidgeotto. _"Could you carry that?"_

 _"...probably,"_ Pidgeotto said, looking between Ash and Pikachu. _"Pulling the balloon, a lot of the weight would be being lifted that way... I guess I could lift both of you and the bag..."  
_  
Pikachu took a deep breath. _"And what about just Ash, the bag, and the Pokéballs?"_

 _"You're at least six kilos, that would make it much-"_

"Pikachu, I'm not leaving you!" Ash said hotly.

 _"Not what I meant."  
_  
Pikachu dove into Ash's bag, sitting on the floor of the balloon with him. _"Where is it, where is it... aha!"_

He held up his prize.

"Pikachu..." Ash said, realizing. "That's _your-_ "

 _"I know,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Ash... this isn't how we should be knocked out of the League. I know you've worked hard for that - and since we found out what you were, you've just tried harder to make it up to us."  
_  
He shook his head. " _But I want to be very clear that this is a one time thing!"  
_  
Ash's eyes were wet. "This... thanks, Pikachu."

He gave the Electric-type a tight hug, then Returned him for what felt like the first time ever.

He put the ball in his bag, added his hat and pendant, then took a breath and dropped his illusion.

"Let's go, Pidgeotto!" he said, jumping into the bag, and Pidgeotto took the bag in her clawed feet before setting off - leaving Team Rocket's balloon floating empty on the breeze.

* * *

8: (Ten years, ten months, ten days before episode 1)

* * *

The doorbell rang.

"Coming!" called Dr. Samuel Oak, coming to his feet with a certain slowness.

He grimaced. Too many years of hard adventuring... he may have been only forty, but he had the aches of an older man.

The doorbell rang again, and Oak shook his head. "I said I'm coming!" he called, more loudly this time. "Give me a minute... who calls at this time of night..."

Dr. Oak opened the door, and was confronted by a rather strange sight. A young-ish woman he'd never seen before, cradling a Pokémon egg.

"Samuel?" she asked. "This is the right house, right?"

"I'm Samuel Oak, yes - but who are you? I can't say I've ever-"

The woman pushed past him into the house.

"Hey!"

His words didn't seem to stop her. She looked back and forth between the doors out of the hall, then selected one and went through.

Oak left the door ajar and followed. "Now, look here-"

As he entered the room, there was a shimmer of blue light.

There wasn't a woman there anymore. Instead, there was a lithe Zoroark, gently setting the egg down on a cushion.

"...oh," he said, blinking. "Wait - aren't you-"

"Not anymore," the kitsune said, sitting down with a sigh. "Sorry, Samuel... but... the last few months have been absolutely _hell._ "

"What brings you down here?" Oak asked, curious. "I thought you were up in Sinnoh - and what's with the egg?"

"The egg's mine," the Zoroark said, answering the last question first. "And... things came up. Sorry I can't say more."

"You always _were_ rather mysterious," the researcher and erstwhile adventurer admitted. "Why here? Why me?"

"You were the first name that came to mind," she told him. "I... sorry, Samuel. I just need a rest for the night. And some hot food, I've not had much to eat in a week."

She sighed. "I won't impose on your hospitality more than that - just... do you know where Spencer lives? Maybe I can ask him-"

"I won't have any more of this!" Oak told her quite sharply. "You're a good person, and I can certainly put you up for a few months at least... maybe I can even see about getting you a job."

"A job?" the Pokémon repeated, blinking. "I have to admit, I've never considered-"

She stopped, as the egg began to glow.

Hurrying over, she took it from the cushion, and when the glow faded a baby Zorua was cradled in her arms.

"Congratulations," Oak said, a little nervously. "Did you know... he? She? Was so close to hatching?"

"I had a guess," the Zoroark admitted, soothing her child. "And he's a son."

"I remember when I first met my son," Oak reminisced. "It was a magical moment. I called him Will - he's away at the moment, though, with his wife. They're in Hoenn."

The Zoroark seemed to be considering something.

"His fur's just a little bit darker than normal," she said, as the baby Dark-type fell asleep. "I think I'll call him Ash."

She missed Oak looking up in astonishment.

"A name?" he asked, to cover his confusion. "I didn't know Pokémon gave one another names..."

"Well, I'm not a normal Pokémon," the Zoroark replied. "You should know that by now."

Oak frowned.

"If you need to hide out," he said, slowly. "Why not hide out here? For good?"

"I thought you said a few months?" she asked.

"I don't mean here at the lab," Samuel Oak said, fuelling his wild surmise. "Here in _town_. You could use that form you were in when you arrived - I've never seen you use it before, so no-one else will recognize it either. Pretend to be a human, hide out in Pallet Town - anyone who came after you would stand out like a sore thumb around here."

She glanced down at the sleeping bundle of her son.

"Him as well," Oak went on gamely. "As soon as he's learned how to conjure illusions, you can move in as though Ash is a young _human_ child. Pick a surname."

Seeing her hesitation, Samuel sweetened the deal a bit more. "And I'll be sure to give you a good job here. I've heard I'm up for a professorship soon, I'll need someone to look after the ranch while I'm away - and you understand Pokémon languages."

A moment of silence.

"Delia Ketchum," she said, and returned to the form she'd taken when she knocked at the door. "It has a nice sound to it."

"Well - welcome to Pallet Town, Delia," Oak smiled.

* * *

9: (Late in Johto)

* * *

"So... what's this supposed to do again?" Ash asked.

"It helps you understand your Pokémon," Lily replied with a smile.

"But..." Ash frowned. "Wait. I already understand my Pokémon..."

"Not like this, you don't," Lily told him. "Let's see..."

She stirred the cauldron, dropping the last ingredient in. "Double, double, toil and trouble..."

Misty looked curious. "What's that? Magic words?"

"No, I've been reading _Macbeth_ recently," Lily replied, absently. "Right, let's see - there!"

There was a bright _woosh_ of flame, and a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Ash shook his head. "That was kind of tingly..."

He blinked, realizing he was now looking at the cauldron from below. "Uh - wait, what just-"

Looking back over his body, Ash winced and promptly transformed back to human. "That broke my illusion!"

Lily was frowning at him. "No, you got turned into a Pokémon. That's how that spell works."

"But... I'm already a Zorua. I mean-" Ash shook his head. "Oh, no, this hasn't gone... but I have a thing which stops my illusion breaking-"

Lily blinked. "Wait. You're _Delia's_ son? Oh, sorry - my mentor made the pendants back when I was an apprentice, I didn't realize-"

"What happened to _us_?" Misty asked.

Both Ash and Lily looked over to her, and didn't see her.

Then they leaned over the cauldron.

A rather startled-looking Crobat and a seriously pissed off Psyduck were on the floor, with the Psyduck tapping her foot and scowling up at Lily.

"Fix this!" Misty demanded, trying not to quack too much.

Pikachu started to laugh hysterically.

* * *

10: (Later in Johto)

* * *

"Ash," Brock asked, curiously. "How, exactly, are you carrying Larvitar?"

"With my hands?" Ash replied. He looked down at the Rock-type. "Why?"

"Ah," Misty said. "Ash, humans aren't that strong. You... your illusion's as strong as you _assume_ humans are? That doesn't.."

 _"Have I missed something?"_ Larvitar asked timidly.

* * *

AN:

That's my explanation for how strong Ash is.

Incidentally, this fic already has a Tropes page!


	4. Chapter 4

11: (vs. Harrison in the Silver Conference)

* * *

Ash raised the Pokéball. "Great job, Charizard," he said, recalling the exhausted Fire-type.

Not only had he made short work of Harrison's Houndoom, but he'd gone at Blaziken hammer-and-tongs - even managing to cope with the Fighting-type's unusual aerial skill.

The trouble was, that was pretty much it for good choices as far as Ash was concerned. Phanpy was still young, Totodile and Pikachu were knocked out... maybe Noctowl.

Best choice he had.

He drew back the Pokéball. "I choose-"

There was a sudden storm of wind.

 _"Me,"_ a familiar voice said, out of the air.

Ash blinked. "Latias?"

The Eon Pokémon materialized in a flash of blue, her feathers ceasing their light-bending effect, and she nodded firmly to Ash. _"Yes."_

 _"What are you doing here?"_ Pikachu asked, baffled. _"This is a Pokémon League tournament! You're kind of... on TV..."_

Latias blinked. _"I am?"_

She looked around, really seeing the crowd for the first time, and winced. _"...oh."_

"But - wait," Ash frowned. "You said _me_. Why?"

The psychic-type blushed. _"Well... I kind of... I feel like I owe you, Ash. You helped me... and you saved me, and... well, I feel I should repay you."_

 _"By taking part in a League battle?"_ Pikachu said, still a bit confused.

"Excuse me-" the referee began, and was waved down by Mr. Goodshow.

The official was rather startled to see his boss had gotten out a box of popcorn from somewhere.

 _"Yes,"_ Latias nodded, a little uncertainly, then nodded more firmly. _"Yes. I'll fight for you."_

"Okay, I guess," Ash said, thinking it through.

Latias was... Psychic and Dragon type?

And Blaziken was Fire and Fighting...

"Right!" he said, more enthusiastically. "Let's do this, Latias!"

Latias smiled, then turned to the battlefield.

Ash clenched his fist. "Okay. Latias - use Psychic!"

Blaziken gathered himself, ready to throw a smokescreen and dodge.

There was a pause.

 _"Uh..._ Latias blushed. _"I don't know that one."_

"You don't?" Ash repeated. "Okay... uh... Psybeam?"

She shook her head.

"Dragon Pulse? Psywave? Confusion?"

 _"I know Safeguard?"_

Blaziken decided there wasn't going to be an attack, and ran forwards for a Blaze Kick.

"Go invisible!" Ash said quickly, and Latias vanished. She swooped around unseen, and Blaziken's attack hit air.

 _"What now?"_ she called, a little frantically. _"I've never been in a proper battle before!"_

"Calm down," Ash said, soothingly. "Okay. First - keep moving. Don't let him work out where you are."

Latias obeyed, making sure she was continually on the move - up, down, left, right, even doing the occasional flip or roll in mid air.

An experienced illusion-user himself - at least when it came to changing his own appearance - Ash managed to track the shimmer in the air that was Latias, though not without difficulty. "Up!"

Rising fast, Latias avoided most of a mushrooming Flamethrower attack.

"You're doing fine!" Ash assured her. "Now - use Safeguard!"

Latias complied, forming a shimmering shield around her body. Unfortunately, her feathers only made _her_ invisible, and the result was that she was outlined by the soft white energy that was supposed to protect her.

"Blaziken, get her now!" Harrison called. "Sky Uppercut!"

Blaziken crouched and launched himself into the sky, fist ready.

"Okay - forwards!" Ash said urgently. "Then do three quarters of a forwards loop!"

Latias flew forwards at speed, getting out of the way of Blaziken's incoming attack. She blurred around in the wide forwards loop Ash wanted, and ended up coming up underneath Harrison's Pokémon.

"Now - ram him!" Ash said. "As fast as you can!"

 _As fast as you can._

Latias heard those words, and followed them to the letter.

The problem was, she'd never pushed herself as hard as she could before, so she wasn't sure what the result would be until it happened. And Latias were _very_ fast Pokémon.

All things considered, it was probably a good thing she had the safeguard on. Without it, the abrupt supersonic impact might have knocked her out as well, rather than merely launching Blaziken most of a mile into the air.

* * *

Latias came drifting down, rubbing her head, her cloak gone. _"Owwwww..."_

Behind her, Blaziken came hurtling towards the floor. Harrison recalled him with his Pokéball, managing to catch him before he hit the ground, and held up his arm. "I know, I know... I recalled him, he was going to be knocked out if he landed. I lose."

He nodded to Ash. "Good match! I didn't know anyone had a Latias..."

Ash wasn't listening.

He clambered out of the box, and hurried over to Latias. "Good job, Latias - and thanks."

Latias smiled, blushing, then blinked and looked around.

No Blaziken.

 _"Wait - did I win?"_ she asked, a little surprised. _"I won? We won?"_

"Sure did!" Ash laughed.

She embraced him on impulse, and spun half-way around laughing as well. _"That was so much easier than I thought it would be!"_

A moment later she realized what she was doing. She made a little _eep_ sound, and made to release him, but by then Ash was returning the embrace and somehow she forgot to for a bit.

"You might need to get a bit better at fighting, though, unless you want to use your head every time," Ash added, and she giggled.

* * *

12: (Very early Unova)

* * *

"Those are Deerling, right?" Ash said, looking at the small herd.

"Looks like it," Latias replied. "Couldn't you just check with your Pokédex?"

"That seems kind of redundant," Ash admitted. He knelt down a bit. "Hey... hi, guys."

Some of the Deerling looked up, startled, and saw (what looked like) two humans. A couple of them bolted, but the rest remained - perhaps braver, perhaps more curious.

"Nice to meet you," Ash went on, smiling - without teeth, of course. Any canid knew that showing teeth could be interpreted as a threat.

 _"Who's that?"_ one of the ones near the back asked.

"I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash informed them. "I've only just arrived in Unova, and I'm kinda not sure what way to get around..."

"He's not exaggerating," Latias smiled fondly. "I've seen him get lost going down a single street."

There were a couple of sniggers from the group.

 _"Are you a trainer?"_ a Deerling near the front asked, trotting forwards a bit. _"You smell kind of strange..."_

"That's right, I'm a trainer," Ash confirmed.

 _"...wait,"_ one blinked. _"You can understand us?"_

 _"Well done for noticing so quickly,"_ another said, a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah, I can." Ash nodded. "Why is... complicated."

 _"Everything about you is complicated,_ " Pikachu sighed. _"Everything."_

"Didn't you get attacked by Zekrom earlier?" Latias asked.

 _"I was with Ash."_

 _"Are you going to try to catch one of us?"_ the bold Deerling asked, one hoof in the air.

"Only if you let me," Ash replied. "I don't like to break up families without permission - family's important."

That seemed to win him some major points. The bold one stepped closer, sniffing and frowning at what he smelled, then paused again about a foot away. His ears perked up.

"Ash," Latias said urgently. "I hear someone-"

"That's _not_ how you catch a Pokémon," a girl's voice said.

Most of the remaining Deerling bolted, crashing off through the foliage, but the one that had made his approach stayed - and hurried over _to_ Ash, to hide behind him against the source of the noise.

His nose twitched again. _"Wait, I know what you smell like!"_ he said, blinking. _"Like a-"_

There was a final crash of bushes, and a girl emerged into the small clearing.

Latias blinked, as the girl's hairstyle caught her eye. "...Ash? Do you have any relatives around here? Who are terrible at disguises?"

"Don't think so," Ash replied, soothing the Deerling with one hand.

"What?" The girl blinked, then seemed to visibly discard what Latias had said. "As I was saying - that's not how you catch a Pokémon! You weaken it first in a battle, then you throw a Pokéball!"

Pikachu chuckled. _"Oh, if only you knew..."_

"What do you think, Deerling?" Ash asked, ignoring the girl for now.

He thought it over for a few moments, then nodded. _"Sure - I don't think I'm in danger, not with... well, what you are."_

Ash smiled, and tapped him with the first of his new Unova Pokéballs. The Grass/Normal type vanished into it in a swirl of light, and the ball stood still for a moment before clicking.

"...what?" the girl said, blinking. "Did you just literally _talk_ a Pokémon into being caught? What kind of trainer _are_ you?"

"...not a very usual one," Ash admitted, letting his first Unova capture out again and standing up. "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"I'm Iris," the girl said, and rummaged around in her hair - pulling out a stocky green-and-brown Pokémon. "This is Axew."

 _"Hi!"_ Axew waved.

"I'm a Dragon Master in training," Iris went on. "It's my aim to train all the Dragon-types in the world! Well.." she frowned. "Apart from the Legendaries, I guess. The only two recorded Legendary Dragons that have worked for a trainer in a hundred... years..."

She trailed off.

"Wait. Are you _Ash Ketchum?"_

Ash nodded.

Iris gaped, then pulled her mouth shut. "Oh, Dialga and Palkia! You're the one with a Latias, aren't you?"

"We're more of a team," Latias corrected her.

Iris blinked.

Just to prove her point, Latias dropped her illusion - revealing her real form.

"I'm in the same clearing as a Latias," Iris said, with a false calm. "I'm in the same clearing with a _Latias."_

 _"Should you tell her you're a Zoroark?"_ Deerling asked, curiously.

* * *

13: (Lucario and the Mystery of Mew)

* * *

 _"So..."_ Lucario lowered his head. _"I see now... what I remembered, when I lived, was hundreds of years ago."_

"That's right," Ash said. A sigh escaped his lips. "Sorry, I guess. I... yeah, I don't think there's much I can say."

 _"But... I don't understand,"_ Lucario went on. _"If this is hundreds of years from when I lived... if Sir Aaron has been gone all this time... how have you come to have the same Aura he showed?"_

"I don't understand," Ash admitted.

 _"Your Aura and his... they are so similar I could not tell the difference - not from Aura alone,"_ Lucario explained. _"It took eyesight... and the only way I can see that being possible is if you are his descendant."_

Ash couldn't help it. He chuckled.

 _"What?"_ Lucario demanded, stung. _"This is no laughing matter!"_

"Sorry!" Ash said, raising his hands. "I didn't mean to - but... well, it's _really_ unlikely I'm descended from Sir Aaron."

 _"How so?"_ Lucario asked. _"What could-"_

He noticed Ash was no longer there.

Instead, inside the pile of clothes, a Zorua in a hat waved up at him.

"This is why," Ash explained.

Lucario blinked. Blinked again, this time slower.

 _"...either my friend was a Zorua or Zoroark in disguise, or something very strange indeed is going on..."_

Max came clattering down the stairs. "Ash!"

Ash looked up, then winced. "Give me a moment, Max!"

"Oh, sorry!" Max said hurriedly. He stepped back out of the room, and there were voices.

Lucario watched, bemused, as Ash transformed back into a human - his illusion including most of the clothes he'd been wearing - then hurriedly threw on the jacket, gloves and hat.

A moment later, Max came back in. "Sorry, Ash - I didn't realize..."

"It's okay," Ash shrugged. "What is it?"

"Oh, yeah!" Max's expression turned serious. "Pikachu's missing!"

Lucario was quite impressed. The look of shock, fear-for-a-friend and anger that spread over the illusory face of this Pokémon-turned-human was rather convincing.

* * *

14:Mid-Kanto

* * *

"What's wrong, Charmeleon?" Ash asked. "You're not like this..."

 _"It's nothing,"_ Charmeleon huffed.

"That's not nothing - Charmeleon, are you okay?" Ash pressed. "I'm worried for you..."

The Fire-type turned away with another sniff of disdain. _"Like you don't know."_

"I really don't!" Ash repeated. "What's the problem? You used to be so-"

 _"Used to be,"_ Charmeleon muttered. _"But now I'm stronger, you'll just want me for my power. I'm on to you-"_

Ash gaped. "What!?"

 _"It's how trainers work,"_ Charmeleon said, in the tones of someone stating the obvious. _"They befriend weak Pokémon, then expect the Pokémon to be just as nice when they're grown up and powerful."_

Ash's fist shook. "That's not it at all!" he insisted. "You're still a friend, Charmeleon! I wouldn't care if you _were_ a weak Pokémon! You're not, and that's great, but if you told me tomorrow that you wanted to stop battling then I'd stop using you!"

 _"And I'd end up on a rock, I bet..."_

That almost pushed Ash over the edge. Almost made him forget his disguise completely and revert to instinct.

But it didn't.

"Charmeleon, that's... no!" Ash shook his head, trying to express how wrong that was. "I'd never do that!"

The Fire-type shook his head. _"Don't lie. If you were a real friend you'd have reacted more when I set you on fire. The only way that makes sense is if you'll tolerate anything to use me in battle."_

Ash was silent for several seconds.

"Charmeleon..." he began. "If you want to battle, ask me, but I'm not going to send you out without you asking. I want to prove that you're wrong, but... I don't know how. I guess this is the closest thing I can do."

Another huff. But, at least, Charmeleon didn't seem quite so actively hostile any more.

* * *

AN:

Still achronic order, I'm afraid - yes, this is going to be how it works out.

I've got a fair deal still to upload, too...

Anyway. Ash was known to speak Pokémon some time before it came out he was a Zorua - as shown here.

Also, there's going to be extra Pokémon caught as both Ash and Latias are in Unova. Deerling is one.


	5. Chapter 5

15: (Early Sinnoh)

* * *

"Uh... Dawn?" Ash asked, uncertainly.

Dawn looked up. "Oh, hi Ash. What is it?"

She felt a little... uneasy, around such talented trainers as Ash and Brock. Ash especially - she'd heard of him as the boy who'd used a _Latias_ in some of his league fights, and who kept getting closer and closer to the winners' podium every time he showed up.

Plus he won that Orange League, but she wasn't sure if that counted.

"Well..." Ash winced. "It's kind of a sensitive topic, but Brock and I discussed it and we think it's good if I tell you now."

Dawn started to panic internally.

 _What does he mean? He and Brock - well, Brock's kind of like an older brother to him, I guess, but - oh, no! If this is going to be him suddenly saying he's got a crush on me - how do I let him down gently?_

"It's kind of personal," Ash went on, not helping Dawn's quiet panic, "but I thought it should come out now, or it'll do it sooner or later by accident."

"Ash, what do you mean?" Dawn asked, preparing herself.

Ash took a deep breath, and slipped a pendant off his neck.

"I'm actually a Pokémon."

Dawn fell over backwards.

"What!?" she asked, astonished. "How - but - what the!? Just how could you be - but - gah!"

Ash demonstrated.

"...okay, I believe you," Dawn said in a faraway voice. "Also - you are ridiculously cuddly looking. Just mentioning."

Ash resumed his customary form. "Yeah... I'm a Zorua. They're a kind of Dark-type who use illusions to disguise themselves."

Dawn thought about that.

"...right," she said, eventually. "Okay. Not sure how to take that... is Brock a Pokémon?"

"Not as far as I know," Ash told her.

* * *

16: (Several years before episode one)

* * *

Forwards. Sidestep. Jump back, handspring, skid-to-a-halt, let the Draco Meteor expend itself on the soil before lunging in again.

Swirling blue energy gathered in the Lucario's palm, and she sidestepped a Flamethrower before launching the ball forwards.

It hit her target with a _crack_ , exploding - into a swirling ball of darkness, which knocked Dragonite backwards in the air shaking his head.

Recovering, he fired a Dragon Pulse. It went just a little wide, and the Lucario skipped away before firing another of those strange blue balls of energy.

"Momma?"

The attack impacted, but then there was a flicker and it vanished.

The Lucario glanced around, then at Dragonite. Taking the hint, the pseudo-legendary took to the sky for a moment.

 _"Clear,"_ he called back down.

The Lucario shimmered and vanished. In her place was briefly a black-furred kitsune, then a young woman in a simple house-dress.

"Oh, _Ash,"_ she said, picking her young son up. "You need to remember not to call mommy that when she doesn't look like this."

"Sorry," the young boy said, blushing slightly. "I wasn't sure where you were."

He looked up at Dragonite, who was coming in to land. "Were you training?"

"That's right," Delia told him. "It's important to train."

* * *

17: (Not actually sure yet...)

* * *

"The twerp's a Pokémon?" James asked.

"Yeah!" Meowth nodded, and Jessie nodded with him.

"We saw him change shape," Jessie added. "And Pikachu was with him, so it can't be a Pokémon pretending to be Ash - it must _be_ Ash!"

"That's great!" James grinned. "Two for the price of one!"

Meowth nodded dreamily. "Just imagin' it," he said. "We grab him, and give him to the boss... and..."

His voice trailed off.

"What is it, Meowth?" Jessie asked.

"...guys?" he said, frowning. "If we did catch him, how'd we get him ta do what we wanted?"

"Ooh, good question," James admitted.

"What's so special about him, anyway?" Jessie asked irritably. "It's just like any other Pokémon!"

This did not make her colleagues relax.

"An' if we stole a Dragonite for the boss?" Meowth asked. "What happens if it just tries ta incinerate him an' leave?"

There was a silence.

"We may have to rethink _everything,_ " James said, summing up the glum expressions on his colleagues' faces.

* * *

18: (During the Battle Frontier)

* * *

 _"Very good,"_ Lucario said, watching as Ash built the swirling blue sphere of Aura. _"You are indeed getting the hang of this."  
_  
Ash nodded absently, focusing. "I guess... it's actually getting easier a lot faster than stuff like Dark Pulse did."

Lucario frowned slightly. _"Yes... that reminds me, can you use that attack in your current form?"  
_  
"Well... yeah," Ash confirmed. "But I don't like to, because it's really obvious it's me doing it."

He sustained the sphere for a moment longer, then let it collapse. "And... you know."

 _"Indeed."_ Lucario frowned. _"In that case... what does it look like when you use Aura Sphere in your true form? For that matter,_ can _you?"  
_  
Ash took his pendant off, and frowned. "I'm... not sure, really. Hold on a moment."

He set his cap aside, concentrated for a moment, and collapsed in on himself to become a Zorua.

"...okay, that could be a problem," he said, looking at his paws. "Do I stand on three legs, or...?"

 _"...I must admit, that had not occurred to me."_

* * *

AN:

To explain the achronic order - this is the order I wrote them in.

I'm doing it in snippet format because that way it doesn't take (much) time away from Ashes of the Past - but there's still going to be plotlines.

Four short ones here.


	6. Chapter 6

19: (Between the first movie and the Kanto League):

* * *

 _"I'm still pretty astonished by the whole thing,"_ Pikachu said, apropos of nothing much, as he and the rest of Ash's Pokémon had lunch together.

It was two more days of training before the League, and even unexpected revelations about the species of their trainer couldn't get in the way of practice for the Pokémon League.

 _"Yeah, it's a pretty big thing,"_ Squirtle agreed. _"Though I guess it does explain how he speaks our language."_

"Doesn't explain how he couldn't at first, though..."

Bulbasaur observed.

 _"What's this?"_ Muk asked, glooping over.

 _"Didn't you hear?"_ Pikachu said, frowning. _"Our trainer - Ash - is a Zorua! A Pokémon!"_

"Oh, is that it?"

the Poison-type asked. _"Yawn. What's for-"_

"How is this not a thing?"

Pidgeotto asked, a bit astonished. _"It's pretty-"_

"Wasn't it obvious?"

Muk asked. _"His mom's a Zoroark, after all..."  
_  
Shock greeted that announcement.

After a moment, Pikachu frowned. _"Wait. You realize that not everyone has your biology, right? You're a shambling chemistry lab..."  
_  
Muk didn't seem much bothered.

* * *

20: (Unova)

* * *

"Okay, here goes!" Ash said.

"Ahem," Latias coughed. "My turn first, Ash. Remember?"

Ash blushed. "...oh, right."

"I know, it's exciting," Latias smiled at him. "Okay..."

She frowned, then selected two of the Pokéballs in her as-yet-small collection.

"Let's start with you, Tepig!"

"Oh, is he your starter?" Lenora asked, as the Fire-type appeared.

"Well, kind of," Latias frowned. "Does it count as a starter if he's the first Pokémon I caught?"

"That's what it means, dear," Lenora smiled. "First gym battle?"

"Second," Latias told her. "We're both doing the challenge."

"That's so nice of you," Lenora said with a grin.

 _"Are we going to have a battle?"_ Tepig asked, glancing back at Latias.

"That's right," Latias nodded. "Don't worry, just do your best!"

Tepig nodded firmly. _"I won't let you down!"_

"Well... Lillipup, go!" Lenora said, sending out her first Pokémon. "Use Roar!"

The little canine roared with surprising volume, and Tepig promptly vanished back into his Pokéball. The other 'ball Latias had made ready also flashed, and her other Pokémon emerged.

 _"...really?"_ Snivy asked, shaking her head with a sigh. _"Okay, fine..."_

Lenora switched out her Lillipup for a Watchog. "Mean Look!" she instructed.

Latias frowned. "I... don't think that was a good idea. Okay, Snivy, ready?"

 _"Of course I'm ready, what do you take me for?"_ Snivy asked.

"Leaf Storm!"

A tornado of leaves enveloped the Normal-type, who powered through them and lunged for Latias' Grass-type.

Who seemed to be glowing awfully brightly.

"...oh, wait, she's Contrary," Lenora said, realizing. "Uh oh..."

The second Leaf Storm was stronger than the first, and whirled Watchog away into the wall with a _thud_.

"Good work!" Latias praised. "Okay, uh... come back here! Tepig-"

 _"Do I really have to?"_ Snivy asked. _"I could beat the Lillipup too..."_

"Let Tepig have his turn," Latias admonished.

* * *

21: (Jirachi, Wish Maker)

* * *

"It got Diane!" May said, staring up at the bizarre Groudon-like _thing_ Butler's misguided wish had called into being.

"And now it's coming after us!" Ash gasped, and everyone fled. Butler took to the sky on his Salamence, and everyone else just ran.

There was a crash as tendrils of goop snaked after the friends. Legs burning, Max glanced back at a familiar cry - and saw his sister being scooped up and carried away along with Brock.

"May!" he shouted.

Ash seemed to come to a decision.

"It's after Jirachi," he said. "Run for it - take Pikachu! I'll-"

Pikachu interrupted him, voice full of passion. Max didn't understand, but he knew Ash did.

"You've got to," Ash said firmly. "Please, Pikachu."

Electricity sparked around Pikachu's cheeks, then he shook his head and sighed. _"Fine!"_

There was a flare of light, and Ash's form changed.

Instead of the boy who Ash pretended to be so well Max was fairly sure _he_ forgot sometimes, there was someone - younger.

Max took a moment to realize - it was him!

Ash-as-Max ran off at a tangent, deliberately slipping closer to Groudon to attract its attention, and Max stared for a moment before blinking wet eyes and running as hard as he could.

* * *

Ash was starting to wonder if this had been such a good idea.

He was still managing to keep away from the tendrils, but it was getting harder as more and more of them focused on him - he'd already had to fend one off with a shaky Night Daze, and as the Groudon stomped closer it was getting easier for it to direct the gloopy strings.

Perhaps he'd have to revert and-

Distracted, Ash didn't notice the cliff until he was about to run off it. He skidded to a halt, heels digging in, and instinctively returned to his customary form.

Fortunately the Groudon didn't seem to realize it had been had. Unfortunately it instead just roared and sent all the tendrils at him, some headed directly for the trainer while the others came scything up the path he'd just been running.

Out of options, Ash jumped.

As he began to fall, the energy-draining tentacles went shooting past on either side but didn't manage to catch him. He tried to think of something he could turn into to help him survive the fall-

Then he landed on something invisible with a _whoof_ of air.

A squeaky purr came from his invisible landing platform, which carried him on a dizzying path through the fake Groudon's tendrils and out into open air.

"What just-" Ash began, then realized something seemed familiar. "Latias?"

 _"That's right!"_ Latias said eagerly, her form flashing blue as she decloaked. _"Are you okay, Ash?"_

"Just fine!" Ash replied confidently, feeling a lot better now Latias was here. "We need to look for Max and Jirachi - they went off that way!"

 _"Got it!"_ Latias replied firmly, and banked around in a wide turn before speeding off south.

* * *

22: (Hoenn)

* * *

"Ash!" May called, leaning over the side of the boat. "Are you okay?"

She turned to Brock. "And you don't seem very worried!"

"Relax," Brock said, shrugging. "He's a shapechanger, remember? He'll just turn into something that can swim, like a Totodile, and come right back up."

Max coughed.

Brock glanced over. "What?"

"He'd need to think of it."

There was a silence for a moment.

"Hold on, Ash!" Brock called, and dove into the water.

* * *

AN:

Part of the reason this already has a Trope page is that it's been simmering for a while on a forum - the forum I use for proofreading, in fact.

Anyway - more development of the Ash-Latias relationship. Yes, Latias has at least a couple of the Pokémon Ash had in canon... though they kinda share anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

23: (Hoenn)

* * *

"Ah, here we are!" Brock said. "Lilycove city!"

He sniffed the air, and made a face.

May chuckled. "Don't do that in a port unless you know it's not used for fishing, Brock..."

"So, where's the gym around here?" Ash asked, looking for a sign.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, enthusiastically.

"It doesn't have one," Max informed him. "It's famous mainly for Pokeblocks."

"...oh," Ash said, deflating slightly. Pikachu mimicked his disappointment, then perked up.

"What is it?" Ash asked, and got a reply. He looked down the street, and saw what Pikachu was getting at. "Oh, hey!"

May followed his gaze. "Who's that?"

"It's Latias," Ash explained. "Well, I guess that's basically Bianca - one of Latias' friends. She makes herself look like that to blend in."

"Sounds familiar," Max snarked.

* * *

Some minutes later, they were all sat around a picnic bench as they ate their packed lunch. (Latias had some of Brock's spare food he made for the Pokémon, which was tasty enough she polished it off in minutes.)

"So, what brings you here, Latias?" Brock asked.

"Well," Latias said, her accent still a little strange. "I've beeen trying to work out what are some good clothes - to blend in," she clarified. "I don't think humans wear the saame thing all the time."

May sniggered, glancing over at the boys - none of whom noticed her unsubtle jab.

Latias nodded over towards the department store. "And I heaard that that's an important place to shop."

"You've got that right!" May agreed, nodding. "Lilycove department store's famous all across Hoenn!"

She stood. "Come on, I'll help!"

"But..." Latias frowned. "I'd raather Ash helped me."

"Me?" Ash asked. "Why's that?"

"You're good at blending in," Latias started. "And... you know how to do that. And I trust you."

"Well... sure!" Ash agreed. "Let's go!"

Max, May and Brock watched them go.

"That could go horribly wrong-" Max began.

"Wait a minute," May interrupted. "She just took him _clothes shopping._ And he agreed without complaint."

She and Brock shared a slightly startled look.

"...actually," Brock said, in tones of deep thought. "I don't think either of them have noticed what that means."

"What _does_ it mean?" Max asked.

They told him.

"...okay," he said, blinking. "Whoa."

* * *

 _"I think-"_ Latias looked mortified, and shook her head. "I think this," she restarted, this time in the correct language. "How does it look?"

"Nice, actually," Ash said, answering honestly. "But, uh... how would that work? Isn't your illusion a bit less solid than mine?"

"I know," Latias agreed. "But it feeels right that I should buy something if I'm going to preetend to wear it."

Ash nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

He took the latest item of clothing to add to the pile, and weighed it. "I think that might be enough," he said. "It's... what, four outfits?"

"Yes," Latias nodded. "Okay - um... what now?"

"I think there's a checkout over there," the trainer said, nodding.

Latias looked a bit startled. "What's a checkout?"

"It's where you buy things from a shop like this." Ash thought for a moment. "Wait - do you have any money?"

She started. _"No! I-"_

"Latias!" Ash hissed, and the disguised Psychic-type looked startled.

"Sorry," she said, a bit more quietly and less squeakily - fortunately the sales assistants were used to sounds like that from teenage girls trying out new outfits. "And - I don't have any money, no. We'll have to-"

"No, it's fine," Ash reassured her, adjusting the pile and reaching into his bag with one hand. "I'll pay - I never really spend my winnings on anything, so I should have enough..."

"Thank you," Latias said, sighing in relief. "I'm so sorry-"

"Really," Ash interrupted her. "It's fine."

* * *

24: (Between Indigo League and Orange Islands)

* * *

 _"Why didn't you let me fight?"_ Charizard demanded, the evening after Ash's party for coming in the top eight of the Pokémon League.

 _"Charizard, you are the absolute-"_ Pikachu began, and Ash waved him down.

"No, Pikachu, I-"

 _"Is it because you're afraid? Because I scare you?"_ the Fire-type asked, severely. _"Because if you_ are _scared of me... well."_

"It's not," Ash told him. "There's a much simpler reason."

Charizard waited, smoke curling from his nostrils.

"It's because you asked me not to."

Charizard frowned. _"What?"_

"Months ago. You accused me of just caring for you for your power - so I stopped using you in battle. Remember?" Ash asked.

There was a pause, then a shake of the head from Charizard.

 _"But... you used me in Cinnabar."_

"You asked me to," Ash pointed out. "You came out to fight Magmar yourself. I never wanted to _stop_ you battling, but you didn't want to be _mis_ used."

Charizard considered that.

"I always _wanted_ you to battle," Ash went on. "Not because you'd win, so much as... you like to battle as much as I do. You _want_ to battle. But I didn't want to force you."

Another snort of smoke, this time more contemplative.

 _"FINE!"_ Charizard roared, and stomped on the ground hard enough to make Ash nearly lose his footing. _"You win! Use me as you want - I've been bored out of my skull!"_

* * *

25: (Mid-Sinnoh)

* * *

"Well, here we are in Sinnoh," Delia said - artfully concealing her nervousness, as she stepped off the plane stairs ahead of Professor Oak.

"That's right," Oak agreed. He moved a little closer, and pitched his voice lower. "You know you can still-"

"No, I have to come back here sometime," she sighed. "Ash is here - has been here for a month - and nothing's gone wrong. So maybe I was wrong."

She looked around. "This place has hardly changed."

"Hearthome city is said to be the eternal jewel of Sinnoh," Oak commented, and Delia chuckled as they walked across the tarmac towards the city proper.

"Everywhere says that. Now... where's Ash-"

A voice interrupted her _._

 _"You... I don't know you. But your Aura..."_

Delia paled, then shook her head with a sigh.

"Five minutes. Five minutes I've been in Sinnoh, and it's like I never left."

She turned.

"Hello again, Gaheris."

The Lucario blinked. _"How do you know my name? I-"_

His jaw went slack. _"Tamamo?"_

"I go by Delia, now," she told him. "But you're right. It's me."

After a moment, the Lucario closed his jaw. _"How - but... how are you here? Why? Why now?"_

"Should I leave?" Oak asked.

"No, you're as much a part of this as-" Delia cut herself off. "Look, give me a moment."

Her hand waved, a kind of ripple following it. The air seemed to follow suit, wavering like a heat shadow.

"There. Now no-one can overhear us, and you're not standing around like a Slowbro."

 _"Excuse me for being a little startled when the one I loved appears out of thin air after over a decade!"_ Gaheris said, stung somewhat.

"I had to go, Gaheris," Delia said. "Please understand that - I didn't know if it was safe. And I couldn't take any risks."

The Lucario chuckled involuntarily. _"That's a laugh, given what we got up to..."_

"Leap before you look, that was us," Delia agreed.

Gaheris nodded, then sighed. _"Well, the man who was after you hasn't been seen in years,"_ he reported. _"Neither I nor my trainer have seen hide nor hair of him. Couldn't you have come back?"_

"Not for a decade at least after I left," Delia said. "And after that..."

She kicked the floor. "It's a hard habit to break, hiding."

 _"Why so long?"_ the Lucario pressed.

Delia hesitated, then dropped her bombshell.

"Because that's how long it took for our son to become a trainer."

It was fortunate that there was an illusion around the three. Otherwise, a Lucario collapsing in a startled faint might have drawn comment.

* * *

"You don't care how many Pokémon get hurt!" Ash said hotly, staring Paul down.

Paul blinked. "Your point? What matters is winning, not making sure your own Pokémon are okay. If a Pokémon gets hurt but wins, that's preferable to-"

Brock subtly made ready to grab Ash if he reacted too badly to that.

Fortunately, he merely seemed really, really annoyed rather than ready to get in a fistfight. "I've never heard something so-"

"Ash?"

"Wh-" Ash tripped over his own tongue, train of thought completely derailed. "Mom? What are you doing in Sinnoh?"

He blinked. "And why's the professor with you?" A double take. "Wait, you have Lucario with you? I thought he was-"

"Wrong Lucario," Cynthia said with certainty. "That's my one."

Ash watched, increasingly perplexed, as the Lucario stared him up and down. (It was a bit unsettling. Ash knew from his friend Lucario that his Aura was unusual, but this Pokémon seemed to be trying to memorize it.)

After a few seconds, the Fighting-type spoke. _"Cynthia, there is a private matter to discuss. You, these two, and the boy - Ash."_

Even though his speech was being translated by Aura, the word sounded strange in his mouth. As though he was trying it out.

"But these are my friends," Ash said, indicating Dawn and Brock. Then he nodded at Paul. "He's not, though."

"Ash, that's not very polite of you," Delia pointed out.

"Like I want to hear what you're going to talk about," Paul dismissed.

"Why don't you just go into the Pokémon centre," Cynthia suggested.

"I don't-"

"I insist," the Grand Champion of Sinnoh insisted.

It was actually quite strange - there wasn't any one thing that was different, but all of a sudden everyone in the garden remembered that this woman was considered the number one trainer in Sinnoh.

Paul went into the Pokémon Centre.

* * *

 _"I am not comfortable with others here,"_ Cynthia's Lucario said a minute or so later, as they sat under the shade of a tall tree.

"It'll be fine," Delia smiled. "Really. He's got good taste in friends."

"What's the matter, then?" Cynthia asked.

Delia clapped Cynthia's Lucario on the shoulder. "Ash, meet your father. Gaheris."

There was dead silence for several seconds.

"...my what?" Ash asked, eventually, in a brittle voice.

Cynthia looked closer at Ash, then at Delia. "...oh, my word. Tamamo?"

Delia waved her hand, the air rippling in a wide circle around them, then dropped her illusion. "Yes, it's me. Though I go by Delia now."

"I have a father?" Ash said, still trying to get his head around that.

"Most people do," Professor Oak said, trying to inject some humour into the moment.

It didn't work.

 _"Ash..."_ Gaheris said, quietly. _"I was as surprised as you to learn I had a son. I..."_

He shook his head. _"It will not be easy for us to work this out. But I am willing to try."_

* * *

26: (Fuchsia Gym)

* * *

After Ash had left, Koga stared at the wall for several minutes. The only movement he made was with a single kunai, which meticulously cleaned out any dirt under his fingernails - one nail at a time.

"Aya," he said, eventually. "What did you think of him?"

"Inexperienced," Aya began. "Brave, certainly, and unusually strong, with a rapport with his Pokémon that was almost frightening... but he's still learning. I'd say, about right for if this was his fourth or fifth gym."

"And what about his skills with the ninjutsu you taught him?" Koga pressed.

"Not very good," Aya summed up. "He's got the strength, and maybe the agility, but he doesn't have the mindset. He's much more visible than invisible, and I don't think he could pull off a disguise."

Koga considered that.

"An interesting assessment, considering how well he fooled you," he said.

Aya stopped her fidgeting. "What?"

Turning, his cape swishing, Koga began to tick off points with the kunai. "His clothes were travel stained, yes, but all in the same way. No particularly prominent grass stains, for example, just a uniform green. His cap was the only thing that was different. As for his eyebrows - he got flamethrowered in the face by that Charmeleon of his, but his eyebrows remained a few minutes later."

"Aren't you going to count that he handled being flamethrowered?" Aya asked, trying to follow as her brother rattled off observations.

"No, that in itself makes sense. I may not have Aura but I know how to tell when I'm in the same room as an adept, he's probably so durable he'd barely notice being hit by a Thunderbolt. But as to the eyebrows - they should have been scorched off, but they weren't."

Koga paused, then tapped his last two fingers with the knife. "Finally, he understands when Pokémon talk - as in their _real_ languages, not just body language and an argot - and, most of all... how terrible he was at concealment."

"...sorry, I don't follow," Aya confessed.

"He's an absolute _master_ at the art of concealment," Koga explained, with a smile. "And the best way to avoid suspicion is to be really inept at something. Aya - _he's not human._ He's just _very_ good at pretending otherwise."

"You mean he's... what?" his sister asked. "A Ditto? A Mew? A Zoroark?"

"I think Zorua," Koga decided after a moment. "It's only a guess, and I'd love to know how he managed to avoid his illusion bursting, but I'm pretty sure Zorua's the answer."

* * *

AN:

I'm kind of using this fic as a way to practice writing a relationship. Of course, the two I picked for it are kind of oblivious...

Meanwhile - oh, look, I just explained Ash's parentage in this fic.

Yes, the Lucario's name is carefully chosen.


	8. Chapter 8

27: (Battle Frontier)

* * *

"I'm still not sure how you managed to talk me into this," Ash muttered, as May pulled a currycomb through his fur.

Privately, May wasn't all that sure either.

"Well, it's a good new experience for you," she pointed out, instead. "You've trained with your mother, and with Lucario, but you've not had much experience in making your attacks _showy_."

Ash twitched as the comb went through again, trying to avoid starting to scratch. This all felt really uncomfortable...

Still, he'd promised. And promises were important.

"Who are you going to pair me with?" he asked, to try to take his mind off it. "I mean... most of my attacks are Dark-type, and I've still not really worked out how to do an Aura Sphere properly when I'm in my - my birth form," he finished, stumbling just slightly over the naming.

"I'm not sure," May admitted. "It'd be nice to do something to use the illusions, yes... and at least I don't need to catch you in a Pokéball since you can just turn up invisible or something."

"I can't do invisible," Ash said, shaking his head. "I can do a Joltik, though, Mom taught me that one. They're really tiny Bug types from Unova."

"Hmmm..." May frowned. "It'd work if we had some way to carry you into the arena..."

Max cleared his throat.

"What's that, Max?" she asked, looking up.

"Well..." Max pointed over to where Brock was talking with a young girl about cooking. "Would Latias want to? I mean, she can go invisible, can't she?"

"You're right," May said, and in that moment the whole show gelled in her head. "Yes, that would be great! I mean, if she wants to..."

She put the currycomb down. "Well, that's as good as I can get it... perhaps we can put a couple of ribbons on on top of that?"

Ash made a face.

* * *

Latias, perhaps surprisingly, loved the idea.

"It sounds like great fun!" she enthused, her squeaky accent almost gone after the latest lesson from Ash. "I've never been in a Contest before!"

"Well, it's not exactly _simple,_ " May warned. "It's all about flashy attacks. I guess you've got that Dragonbreath attack, and - can you use your psychic powers to control the dragonbreath?"

"I'm pretty good," Latias said with a frown. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking you used that to make a series of rings of flame, and Ash could run through - and change his shape for each one. So he goes, say, Furfrou, and then Growlithe and Eevee and Vulpix and Zorua and Houndour and Lillipup and Poochyena. That kind of thing."

"Sounds pretty nice," Latias agreed.

May was about to go on, but then she heard a strange kind of... almost a _chirp_ noise.

It sounded lethargic and comfortable and _deeply_ satisfied.

She looked down, and had to restrain a delighted giggle.

Latias had absently picked up the discarded currycomb, and was running it through Ash's fur just as she had.

It seemed as though Ash approved more of this source of combing, though, as he was... well... _purring._ It didn't sound like her Skitty did, but it was definitely a purr, and quite an intense one at that.

May decided to continue before either of them noticed - it was too cute to interrupt. "Okay, so that would be the first bit, and then the second one - I've seen Ash using Night Daze, and I'm pretty sure you could burst through it with a Light Screen..."

* * *

28: (Sinnoh, Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu)

* * *

"How much further is it?" Ash asked, looking around at the mountain ramparts rising all around them.

"Not too far," Kellyn assured him. "Thanks for the help, by the way - after all the trouble we've had so far it's good to have someone along just in case."

"Glad to help!" Ash grinned, then his expression faded into a frown. "Lucario Kingdom, huh... so that's where you're from?"

 _"That's right,"_ the Riolu said with a nod.

"I kinda thought we were still in Sinnoh..."

"We are, Ash," Brock explained. "The Lucario Kingdom's partly autonomous, and has been since the treaty which folded it into Sinnoh. The kingdom was founded over four hundred years ago during the warring states period, by a group of Lucario who wanted to stabilize the area."

"Wow, you sure know a lot about this place," Ash grinned.

"He's reading it out of a guidebook," Dawn said, and Brock chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, the kingdom's a special place," Kellyn agreed. "I always love coming here."

There was a rustle in the trees, and then a blue form landed with crouched knee on the path ahead of them.

 _"Hail, traveller,"_ the Lucario began. _"What brings you to our lands with a Riolu-"_

He frowned slightly, eyes shimmering blue for a moment, and continued in a slightly different tone. _"Ah, I see. Thank you, Ranger, and your companions - for finding our lost one and returning him."_

"Aura Sight still amazes me," Ash said quietly.

The Lucario seemed to have overheard him, and gave him a cursory examination. This quickly turned into a frown, and then he blinked.

 _"...your Aura is very unusual,"_ he said. _"If I did not know better I would swear you were a young Riolu, but at the same time..."_

Ash glanced at Brock, who nodded, and he frowned. Still not quite sure, he tapped one of the balls at his waist. "Hey, can I ask your advice?"

The Lucario he'd met at Cameran emerged in a flash, and the sentry's frown deepened.

 _"What is it, Ash?"_

"I was wondering if it'd be okay to explain... well, me... to them," Ash explained.

 _"Kellyn already knows,"_ his friend advised. _"And Lucario are noble to a fault, it's a genetic thing."_

Ash nodded, accepting that, then faced the curious sentry and took a deep breath.

 _"Try and fit it all into one sentence,"_ Pikachu advised.

"I'm a disguised Zorua, my father was a Lucario called Gaheris, and this is Sir Aaron's old companion from over a thousand years ago - he was concealed in a crystal staff until last year and mistook me for Sir Aaron at first," Ash rattled off.

The response he got was not the one he imagined.

Kneeling again, the sentry bowed to him. _"Welcome to our kingdom, Prince of the Blood."_

 _"This week isn't getting any less confusing,"_ the rescued Riolu mused.

* * *

"Prince?" Ash repeated, still a little startled.

 _"You are Gaheris' son,"_ the sentry explained, leading the whole group down a narrow path that descended to the valley floor. _"He is of the blood, and so are you."  
_  
"What does that mean - of the blood, I mean?" Ash asked.

 _"The Lucario Kingdom is a Kingdom. To be of the blood simply means to be descended from a previous king or queen."  
_  
"Or?" Brock asked, frowning. "Shouldn't that be _and_?"

 _"We have had to relax the definition recently,"_ the sentry admitted. _"It is complicated."_

A final twist in the path, and then they were looking out over the main valley.

 _"Welcome,"_ their guide said, gesturing across the landscape.

It was... interesting.

This was no sun-drenched idyll, certainly - there were villages, and rolling hills, but about half of it was rather disappointingly shrouded in low cloud.

"If it's a kingdom, shouldn't there be a castle?" Dawn asked.

 _"Our walls are our strong arms,"_ the guide told her. _"We do not hide away from those who live alongside us."  
_  
Ash pointed. "What's that flashing?"

 _"Ah, a tourney is scheduled for today. I see that Artur and Gwynevar are competing."_ The Lucario dropped down a ten foot cliff, landing with a _whack_ on the next terrace of the path. _"Come. We should arrive before the feast is done."_

* * *

Ash watched, amazed, as the tournament drew to a close.

He knew Lucario were strong and tough - Sir Aaron's Lucario had been advising him for over a year, and his dad was pretty amazing too - but this was a whole different level!

As he watched, one of the two - wearing a thin circlet of beaten gold - spun out of the way of a blast of air with audible sharpness before planting one paw on the ground and using it as leverage for an upside-down spin kick.

His opponent - with only an armband-emblem of an Uxie to identify him - blocked the kick with his off hand, then lunged forwards inside the guard of the first Lucario.

There was a loud _clang_ of Steel-type on Steel-type, and then the crowned one threw his foe into the air with a powerful wrench.

The Lake-guardian Lucario landed with a grace more feline than canid, brought his palms back briefly, and launched forwards two battering pulses of Aura before closing in with a one-two-three combination of Iron Tail, Thunderpunch and finally a two-handed blow that sent his opponent crashing to the floor.

The whole exchange had taken perhaps two seconds.

As the friends gaped, the downed Lucario began to chuckle.

 _"You were always my better, Launcelat,"_ he said, and pushed himself somewhat painfully to his feet. _"Did you have to hit that hard?"_

Launcelat chuckled in reply. _"My liege, if I held back then who would make you sweat?"_

 _"I'm sure I know someone who could..."_

Their guide cleared his throat. _"My lords?"_

A glance up, and both Lucario were all business. _"What is it, Bors? I see visitors."_

 _"My king Artur, our lost one has been returned - by Kellyn, Ranger of these parts, and allies - including the son of Gaheris,"_ Bors explained.

Artur frowned. _"I see a Lucario, indeed, but he is not-"_

 _"Artur, the boy,"_ Launcelat said, interrupting him. _"His Aura... was Gaheris not enamored of a Zoroark?"_

 _"He was indeed,"_ Artur frowned. _"Well!"_

Stepping forwards, the powerful-looking Lucario gave Ash a quick appraisal and a nod. _"Well met, then, son of my sister-son."_

* * *

29: (Sinnoh, shortly after 25)

* * *

 _"So,"_ Gaheris began. _"Ash."_

Ash nodded.

 _"Sorry, I'm having trouble knowing-"_

"It's okay," Ash assured him. "So am I."

The Lucario frowned. Groping for a topic, he began. _"Er... what's your name short for?"_

"It's not short for anything," Ash said. "Except, well... Ash Ketchum, which is my full name."

 _"I'm really impressed how far Ta- how far_ Delia _went underground,"_ Gaheris admitted. _"But - why Ash? Why just Ash?"_

"Mom said it was my fur," Ash volunteered. "A bit darker than normal, so she called me Ash."

 _"I see... er, speaking of your fur..."_ Gaheris took a breath. _"Would you be able to show me your birth form?"_

"Sure," Ash agreed readily. He took his pendant off, letting the chain pool in a heap on the floor, and transformed.

Gaheris lifted the billed cap that had fallen across his son with gentle paws, and then stared for a long minute.

 _"Thank you,"_ he said.

Ash took that as a cue to transform back to his more customary form.

 _"If I might ask... why have you become a trainer?"_ Gaheris went on.

"It's... well, I guess it's because it's a cool thing to be," Ash began. "I mean, it's travelling around, and making friends... and I've gotten into a _lot_ of excitement."

 _"Your mother and I did as well,"_ Gaheris chuckled. _"Ah, I remember when I boosted her up to the catwalk of a warehouse, then she cloaked both of us in her illusions to make sure the criminal goons after us didn't find us..."_

He saw Ash's expression of polite... well, almost _boredom_... and trailed off.

 _"You seem unimpressed."_

"No, I'm listening," Ash said, shaking his head. "Hearing what Mom got up to with... well, with you, Dad," and the word caught slightly, "... it's something I want to hear about. It's just..."

 _"Just what?"_

"How much has Mom told you about what I tend to get up to?"

Gaheris indicated there was not a lot.

"Right." Ash thought for a moment. "There was that time I rode Lugia."

 _"Wait, that was - of course, now I think about it..."_ Gaheris' jaw dropped slightly. _"You rode the Guardian of the Seas. Now I see why you weren't all that thrilled by-"_

Ash hadn't finished. "Then I guess there was the time I rode Suicune, and the thing with Groudon and Kyogre, and just recently there was Lucario - Sir Aaron's Lucario, he was sealed in a staff..."

With mounting alarm, Gaheris realized that his son had, apparently, inherited both his parents' propensity to get into trouble, with interest, and then admixed that with the curiosity of a Zorua and the heroic instincts of a true Riolu or Lucario.

He didn't know whether to be proud and worried, or worried and proud.

* * *

30: (Johto)

* * *

"Guys?" Ash began. "Uh, I've got a favour to ask..."

"Sure!" Brock nodded. "What is it?"

Ash shrugged his bag off, and took off his hat. "Can you take care of my stuff?"

As he spoke, he undid his belt and dropped it next to the bag, and finished up with his pendant.

"What are you going to do, Ash?" Misty asked. "Wait, you're going to-"

There was a blue flash.

"Yep," Ash said, and picked up a shrunken Pokéball in his beak.

Spreading silent wings, he set off into the forest. The effect was spoiled when he nearly flew into a tree trunk and had to engage in undignified flapping to regain his attitude.

"...well, it's certainly got the element of surprise," Misty admitted.

* * *

The Noctowl hooted in triumph. Stupid human!

He'd been evading traps for weeks, did the idiot really think that a bunch of berries on the end of a stick were going to be enough?

Flaring his wings, Noctowl came down to land on a branch. It rustled slightly, as the non-shiny Noctowl already present on it shifted to let him land.

 _"Impressive, right?"_ the shiny asked, preening. _"It's the best way to handle humans. Let them think_ they've _fooled_ you _."_

"Yep!" the other Noctowl agreed, and spat a Pokéball at the shiny.

* * *

"What?" Ash asked, some minutes later.

The shiny Noctowl he'd just caught glared at him.

"You kept using illusions, it's the same kind of thing!"

 _"How did you do it?"_ Noctowl asked. _"I've been trying to work it out since you did it, and I_ still _don't know how you fitted into that Noctowl costume!"_

Ash rubbed the back of his neck with his free arm. "Eh... promise to be nicer if I tell you?"

 _"I'll consider it."_

"I'm a Zorua."

There was a pause, as the owl on his right arm shifted a little.

 _"That would explain why you warned me about digging in my claws,"_ the Shiny agreed grudgingly.

"Hey, Ash!" Brock called, and both looked over. "You're back!"

"And with a new friend, I see," Misty observed.

 _"Friend is pushing it.._. _"_ Noctowl muttered.

* * *

AN:

Yes, there's quite a backlog of these.

Let me know what you think - feedback's very helpful!

The purring Ash was inspired by the sound that a fox makes when it purrs, and by the idea of Ash and Latias both being completely oblivious to their relationship for quite some time...

As for the Lucario Kingdom... I tend to think a Lucario Kingdom should have Lucario in it. So I basically made it be Peak Camelot.


	9. Chapter 9

31: (Sometime Sinnoh)

* * *

 _"Are you my son's girlfriend?"_ Gaheris asked.

Latias shook her head, the very idea startling her. _"No! We're just friends, that's all. He helped me, and_ _I felt like I owed him, and... we just like hanging out together. That's all."_

The Lucario waited until she'd left, then turned to Brock and Dawn. _"Is she-"_

" _Oh_ , yeah," Dawn confirmed.

If one looked closely, one could see a smirk on his muzzle. _"Interesting."_

* * *

32: (Before Sinnoh league conference)

* * *

"Not long to go until the conference starts, Ash!" Dawn pointed out.

Ash nodded. "Yeah!"

"Do us proud," Brock informed him.

 _"If I do end up battling your Pokémon,"_ Gaheris said slowly, _"rest assured I will give it my all. Any less would be unworthy."_

"Thanks," Ash grinned. "I think?"

"It'll be fine," Cynthia informed him. "Really. All that matters is doing well, not necessarily winning - you've got years ahead of you."

"Yeah, I know," Ash admitted. "But I seem to stall out every year... and did you see that guy with the cloak?"

"Yes, with the Darkrai," Cynthia admitted. "Between you and me, Ash... I'd quite appreciate it if someone at least made him sweat."

Ash nodded firmly.

While they got into a more detailed discussion, Delia tapped Latias on the shoulder. "Excuse me?"

Latias turned, a little startled. _"Yes?"_

"Do you have a minute?"

 _"Uh... sure,"_ Latias agreed.  


* * *

  
"Thank you," Delia said, pouring them both tea. "Now, there's a few things I'd like to discuss."

She passed one cup to Latias. "I wanted to ask you about your relationship with my son."

Latias blinked. "Uh... well, I met him in Altomare, and he saved me - and helped to teach me to talk this way, too. And... I guess I felt I owed him. I still feel I owe him."

"It's more than that," Delia said. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but I had to leave Sinnoh in a hurry over a decade ago - leaving behind Gaheris - because we were in danger."

 _"Uh-"_ Latias began.

"I hid myself in Pallet, disguising myself as a human, for a decade and more," she went on. "To stay safe. And that concealment depended - and depends - on being exquisitely careful."

She paused.

"So - if you want to be around my son, I advise you keep that in mind. To be exposed is to be in danger. You may be a Legendary, but... well, keep it in mind. Even Legendaries can be put in danger if people know about them."

"But- he's been helping me learn to be inconspicuous," Latias said weakly. "He taught me some tips with illusions, how to speak, and how to seem human..."

"I'm sure he has been," Delia agreed. "He does care a lot - it's his father's blood in him."

She finished her tea and stood. "But if you want to conceal something, you need to know about it first. You're doing a terrible job noticing how much you love him."

Latias nearly dropped her cup.

* * *

33: (Over eleven years before episode one)

* * *

 _"Oh, not another Fire-type..."_

 _"Is the big tough Steel-type having second thoughts?"_ Tamamo asked, swirling darkness arcing around her claws before whipping off and knocking down an incoming Skarmory.

 _"I assure you, I'm quite up to the task."_ Gaheris did a flip away from the Fire Blast aimed at him, paws glowing blue as he prepared an Aura Sphere, then fired it out at the Magmortar advancing on them.

It staggered back, then levelled both cannons at them. A ruddy light began to glow in them.

 _"Look out!"_ Gaheris warned, as he prepared to dodge.

Tamamo winked. _"Take care of yourself, tough guy."_

A moment later the Magmortar fired.

Gaheris dove sideways, doing a half-roll before braking hard and throwing off the follow-up Flamethrower. He lunged forwards, a staff of blue Aura forming in his paws, and cracked it down on the Magmortar's head.

Stunned, it collapsed.

 _"I hope you were serious about-"_ Gaheris began, then sighed. _"And of course you snuck off invisible."_

"Get them, Druddigon!" the guard called, reaching for a Pokéball, and a clawed hand closed around his wrist.

He had just enough time to notice what had happened before Tamamo flipped him over backwards and knocked him unconscious with a blow to the temples.

 _"Showoff,"_ Gaheris commented idly.

 _"Hey, at least-"_

The Pokéball opened.

Unfortunately, the Druddigon was capable of putting two and two together to realize who had just taken out his trainer. He roared, and the two Pokémon drew closer together.

 _"So, what's the plan, hot-shot?"_ Tamamo asked.

 _"According to song and story,"_ Gaheris began, _"Those who go down fighting dragons are almost as impressive as the ones who win."_

 _"Great plan. Really, it's a-"_

The door exploded inwards.

"Dragon Rush, Gabite!"

Gabite duly used Dragon Rush, knocking the Druddigon into the wall with enough force to knock it out in one blow.

"Did you two go off alone _again?_ " Cynthia asked, hoisting her bag up a bit higher. "Gaheris, there's a time and a place for going off canoodling with your girlfriend-"

Both Lucario and Zoroark sighed.

 _"Cynthia, we tracked a Team Breaker shipment here,"_ Gaheris informed her. _"We had planned to sort it all out before the time came to challenge the gym."_

"I think that Zoroark is a bad influence on you," the teenaged trainer said, shaking her head.

"So?" Tamamo asked. "He's useful to lift heavy things."

Gabite came back over, beaming.

"Well done, Gabite," Cynthia smiled, rubbing the rough skin of the Dragon-type. "You checked he was out cold?"

A nod.

"It's good to see someone knows how to do things properly..."

* * *

34: (Climax of the Team Galactic plotline)

* * *

"Let us go!" Ash shouted. "You don't understand - Cyrus wants to-"

"I don't care what he wants to do so long as he pays up," J interrupted him.

She examined Ash a bit closer. "There's something-"

"Incoming!" one of her goons called. "Something fast - invisible!"

J frowned. "Then _shoot_ it!"

"We're trying - it's too fast to-!"

There was a loud BANG as the door blew in.

Feathers shimmering as she dropped her invisibility, Latias hovered in the windrush. _"Ash! Are you okay?"_

"Latias, look out!" Brock called. "Stop J!"

The Psychic-type's eyes glowed as she aimed an attack at J, hurling her backwards and knocking her bracelet-gun out of her grip.

A moment later, J's Drapion fired a Dark-attack of some sort at Latias, blowing through her hasty Light Screen and knocking her backwards.

Salamence roared, and closed in to grapple with the Legendary Dragon-type behind a Dragon Pulse ball.

"Latias!" Ash called, as J stood up and retrieved her blaster.

The moment after she fired her shot at Latias, the whole ship trembled.

"Good," J said. "We've arrived."

* * *

"Excellent," Cyrus smiled. "Your payment has already been transferred."

"It better have been," J said darkly. "And you get the brats free."

Cyrus frowned.

"Something about the one with the cap unsettles me, and you didn't pay me to keep them on my ship," J explained, not mentioning what she was _keeping_ \- a certain Dragon-type, which was going to make her either feared throughout the world... or, possibly, very rich indeed. Either or.

Both, if she could swing it.

"It is no concern of mine," Cyrus waved the matter off. "They may make good witnesses for my triumph."

* * *

(Some minutes later)

* * *

J clung on to a stanchion as her battleship plunged towards the water, crippled by several attacks from Uxie and Mesprit.

"Salamence!" she shouted. "Get me out of here!"

"He's not coming," said a hauntingly familiar voice.

The air in front of her rippled, and a dark vulpine form was visible for a moment.

"You've made a lot of mistakes today, J," the voice said, as J drew her blaster and aimed it for the sound.

It flashed, and a patch of bulkhead scarred with the impact - miss.

"Do you know what the biggest one is?"

"Tamamo," the bounty hunter hissed. "Should have stayed where you ran, bitch."

 _"Vixen,"_ that voice replied, and suddenly a Lucario was charging out of the wavering, smoky air at her.

Her blaster fired, doing nothing, and then the Lucario vanished. An illusion...

"Your biggest mistake was threatening my son."

The whole ship shook as it crashed into the water, rocking back and forth as it shed momentum before coming to a temporary halt with a sigh of air.

"Your son?" J repeated. "But - wait! That accursed boy!"

Claws tore at her arm, making her clutch it with a cry of pain - finding only white score-lines that didn't even break the skin.

She brought up her pistol again and fired-

And, as she pulled the trigger, it burst in flashes of blue light.

"Another illusion?" J asked, surprised, then tapped her goggles to infrared mode in case that helped.

For a moment, she saw a shadowy form just in front of her, and lunged-

And it collapsed like the illusion it was. Delicate claws reached in as she stumbled, and her goggles were crumbling bits falling to the floor in front of her.

"What do you want from me, you bitch?" J demanded, looking around for any sort of clue. "Is this just for your sick satisfaction?"

"No, just delaying."

With a _click_ , the illusions all vanished - revealing the world as it really was.

J was stood in the middle of her command deck, facing the main windows - windows which were creaking under the weight of dozens of feet of water.

And, standing just next to them, a Zoroark with her fist clenched.

"Have fun," she said, and smashed the window.

* * *

Latias struggled through the air, concentrating on trying to stay invisible without crashing.

The time in J's holding cell had been horrible - alternately blasted by electricity and strafed by beams of intense light, her Safeguard had failed in minutes and she'd been pummelled mercilessly after that.

She'd wondered what was going on, and guessed it had to be an attempt to weaken her... but then J had opened the door of her cell and told her to leave, which was something she didn't understand.

But she could worry about that later. Ash was in danger... Ash was... Ash...

* * *

"Not much further!" Cynthia called, as her Garchomp went to town on Mars' team.

A little ahead, her Lucario wove around an attack from a Skuntank and launched into a nasty combination that left the Dark-type picking itself off the floor some distance away.

"Should we-" Ash began, and she shook her head.

"No, Ash, I'll get us there. We'll need everyone we can manage rested up."

Ash nodded, then blinked. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what, Ash?" Brock asked.

 _"I hear it too,"_ Gaheris said, turning. _"Look out-!"_

Blue light washed over something invisible, flickering back and forth between transparent and white-and-pink seemingly at random.

With an exhausted squeak, Latias appeared completely as her strength failed her, and flopped the last few feet to the ground. Ash lunged, and managed to catch her before she hit the rock of the mountainside.

"Latias!" he said, astonished. "What happened?"

 _"The prison cell hurt me,"_ she explained, strain in her voice. _"A lot... but - Ash, are you okay?"_

"You're the one who's not okay here!" Ash said indignantly. "How do you feel?"

 _"Everything hurts,"_ she said with a sigh.

"Ash, I know it's cruel," Cynthia began. "But we need to handle Cyrus first."

"How could you?" Dawn asked.

"I wish we didn't have to," Cynthia replied, running her hand through her hair. "But - we don't have the time. Cyrus is close to his goal."

"I'll make time!" Ash said hotly. "Five minutes, okay?"

 _"Do we have five minutes?"_ Gaheris asked.

Brock frowned, one hand going halfway to his temple. "I think... I actually think I know that. It must be from Uxie - and, yes, we've got a few minutes."

"Get them, Toxicroak!"

 _"We'll use the time to clear these out,"_ the Lucario said firmly. _"But we will have to hurry!"_

Ash shifted a little, trying not to jog Latias. "This could feel a little strange," he said, and put his hands on her torso.

Cynthia frowned - then she and Dawn blinked, as his hands began to glow blue.

"Ash..." Dawn began. "What are you doing?"

"It's something Lucario taught me," Ash said, sounding strained. "It's a way of healing with Aura."

Sweat sheened on his face. "It's kind of... tiring..."

However much effort it may have been for him, it was clearly working for Latias. Her colour had already improved noticeably, and she was breathing a little easier.

Shifting, she moved a little closer to Ash, and her hands took his elbows.

"I didn't realize Ash was getting so good with his Aura..." Cynthia said. "It looks like..."

"It's pretty amazing," Brock agreed.

There was a _slam_ as a Toxicroak got pile-driven into the ground.

 _"Our way is-"_ Gaheris began, then interrupted himself. _"Ash!"_

Hurrying over, he rapped his son firmly on the shoulder to get his attention. _"Ash, stop! You're going to end up in worse shape than she was!"_

"She needs it-" Ash began, and had to take another breath to continue.

Before he could, however, Gaheris tugged his hands away from Latias - breaking the connection.

 _"Ash, you need to be careful!"_ he admonished. _"You were so low on Aura you could have passed out - that's no help to anyone!"_

Any rebuttal died on Ash's lips when Latias pushed herself off the ground - and hung there, still tired but looking much more healthy.

 _"Thank you, Ash,"_ she said, and Ash smiled wanly.

* * *

AN:

That's probably it for tonight- got other stuff to work on. I'll try to transfer the rest of the backlog tomorrow.

As for the snips...

Well, the main thing to say is that Delia Ketchum can hold one heck of a grudge. She did take J's form, order everyone else off and let Latias go, though.


	10. Chapter 10

35: (Shortly after 34)

* * *

"So, how's my son doing?" Delia asked.

 _"Well,"_ Aaron's Lucario said, after a moment of thought. _"There is but one badge to go before he may face the League, if I understand it correctly. Though... I imagine you are asking more about what happened atop the Spear Pillar."_

"That's kind of... yes," Delia admitted.

 _"From what Ash has told me-"_

"I probably know what happened better than you," Delia interrupted. "I was there."

Lucario blinked. _"You were - ah, I see. Your ability to change form. But - why did you not let Ash know?"_

"It's what I did when I was there," Delia explained. "I... you know who Hunter J is?"

 _"I have heard. A bounty hunter and criminal, who steals and tortures Pokémon to make them obedient."_ Lucario's palm flickered blue for a fraction of a second, and he sighed. _"I had hoped such people were behind us in this time, in truth..."_

"She captured Ash, and his friends, as they tried to protect the Lake Guardians. Latias too."

 _"I know that much,"_ Lucario informed her.

"Right. And - I got aboard, and disguised myself as her." Delia stirred her tea, but didn't take a sip. "Partly to free Latias, partly... I'm not sure. We have a history, she and I, and I suppose I wanted to get some kind of closure."

A pause.

"She's one of the reasons I fled to Kanto. She actually got hold of Ash's egg at one point, for a few minutes - fortunately, I managed to retrieve him. But..."

Delia sighed.

"The ship was going down - I didn't see why, maybe the Lake Guardians attacked it. And I ordered everyone else off the ship, in J's form."

 _"Else?"_ Lucario asked, noticing that word.

"Else. I found J, and... stopped her from escaping before it crashed into the lake. Before it sank."

Another sigh. Delia glanced around, then dropped her illusion. "And I smashed the window, went Floatzel and escaped."

Lucario absorbed that.

 _"I think you are unsure about what you've done."_

"No!" Delia replied, with an unusual vehemence. "No, I'm not! She tried to kill Ash - tried to kill _me_ \- she's a menace and a monster! I'm not sorry!"

A pause.

"Not sorry at all."

 _"You are certainly_ unsure _,"_ Lucario stressed. _"I lived through a time of war and regret, and I recognize this at least. What you did was not, inherently, wrong. Rather, it removed a threat and a horrible person... and your penance, I suppose, is how you are feeling now."_

"It'd help if I knew _what_ I felt now," Delia muttered.

* * *

36: (Middle of the Lt. Surge episode)

* * *

Ash mechanically chewed through his lunch, thinking about tomorrow.

That Lt. Surge had beaten him, and Pikachu - and both he and his Pokémon wanted revenge. But they weren't going to give Surge the satisfaction of evolving Pikachu.

Pikachu didn't want it, and as far as Ash was concerned that settled it. Pokémon didn't have to be fully evolved to be able to win, and Ash was going to prove it!

He took another bite, and blinked. This was actually really good.

"Hey, Brock?" he said, wiping his mouth. "This is great! What is it?"

Ash gradually became aware that Brock, Misty and Pikachu were all staring at him.

"Ash..." Misty pointed out. "That's Pikachu's lunch."

Ash looked down, and blanched. "Uh... oops! Sorry, Pikachu!"

 _"How dense..."_ Pikachu shook his head, sighing.

"I'm more concerned how you didn't notice," Brock said. "That makes me wonder if I made the Pokémon food too sandwichy."

"Yeah, I guess you did," Ash chuckled nervously.

Internally he was trying not to panic. And, at the same time, wondering if he could snag some more...

Or, at the very least, ask Brock about spicier food.

* * *

37: (Episode N)

* * *

"Stop messing with my hair," N hissed.

 _"Your hair's itchy,"_ Ash replied, trying to remember not just to speak Pokémon but to speak _Zorua_ to boot.

It was not precisely easy.

"Quiet," N reminded him. "Just try to listen. I will want to know what you think."

Ash nodded, and gripped N's shoulder a bit tighter.

Without his pendant, he felt... vulnerable. Like the slightest knock would break his illusion.

And the itchy hair wasn't helping either.

* * *

"Come forth!" Ghetsis intoned. "Come forth, Reshiram!"

The Light Stone rippled with heat, and began to glow. Softly at first, but getting more and more intense.

 _"This might be bad news,"_ Ash whispered. _"The one in the vale-"_

As suddenly as an explosion, Reshiram appeared.

Its wings went down, and the turbine skirled faintly for a moment.

 _"My Hero of Truth is here?"_ he asked, voice touching all present - including Ash, who couldn't hear the telepathic part but could understand the regular speech. _"I can sense him..."_

"I am here," Ghetsis said, raising his staff.

Reshiram brushed past without even looking. _"My hero is... ah!"_

The enormous white dragon-type frowned. _"Wait... there is another. The Hero of Ideals is present as well."_

Ghetsis blinked. "What?"

He pointed to one of the other Sages. "Look for him! That boy must be in the bushes or something!"

 _"No, closer than that,"_ Reshiram denied, still frowning. He looked up, and straightened. _"Or perhaps not! Zekrom comes!"_

Turbine roaring, the Fire-Dragon shot skywards - towards an approaching black dot.

"Father!" N called. "I thought I was the hero you sought!"

"Don't be silly, that was-" Ghetsis began, then blinked. "No, wait-"

Overhead, Reshiram bore in on Zekrom.

Much to his surprise, though, Zekrom shot past - riderless - and plunged towards the ground. The Dragon of Truth did a double take, then turned over in a dive and followed.

"Father?" N repeated. "Was it all a lie? Just for power?"

"How can anything be _just_ for power?" Ghetsis asked. "But yes, if you-"

Zekrom landed with a _slam_ and a whirl of electricity.

 _"Hero of Ideals!"_ he called, facing N.

Ghetsis was actually a little shocked.

"But... I thought the brat was... how can it be N?"

Reshiram landed right next to Zekrom. _"Hero of Truth!"_

"Is he _both_ of them?" someone asked.

 _"No!"_ Zekrom denied. _"MY hero is on HIS hero's shoulder!"_

Dead silence.

 _"Pardon?"_ Reshiram asked, blinking.

"Oh, this is just..." Ghetsis sighed. "Fine, we'll do this the hard way."

He bashed his staff on the floor again. "Kyurem! Absofusion!"

Then the _third_ Tao dragon came bursting out of the caverns, and things got loud.

* * *

38: (Early Unova)

* * *

"Greetings."

Ash jumped. "Wha-"

"Didn't you hear him coming?" Iris asked, rolling her eyes. "And you're supposed to be the-"

"That's not important!" Ash interrupted. "Who are you?"

"That's not really polite, Ash..." Cilan said quietly.

"I am known as N," N introduced himself.

"Is that a normal name?" Latias asked.

"Not really, no," Iris informed her. "Okay, so you're called N. Well... what do you want?"

"I wish to speak with your Pokémon," he said.

"You can do it too?" Cilan blinked. "Okay, now Iris and I feel really left out..."

"Speak for yourself!" Iris said tartly, and Cilan spread his hands.

"Don't you?"

"...well, yeah, but I can just ask if I want something translated..."

N had been listening with some confusion. "What do you mean, do it _too?_ "

"Oh, right." Iris shrugged. "Ash and L- _Laura_ can both understand Pokémon. They've been trying to teach us, but no luck so far."

The green-haired teen was a little taken aback. "I see."

Rallying, he smiled. "Well, I suppose greater understanding between humans and Pokémon is always welcome, especially if it shows how bad the situation truly is."

 _"What situation?"_ Pikachu asked.

"The situation of how Pokémon are enslaved by humans and kept in Pokéballs," N explained matter-of-factly.

Ash and Latias, both of whom had a very carefully guarded Pokéball at the bottom of their respective bags, made strangled noises of amusement. N looked at them with confusion, then dismissed it as something people just did sometimes.

* * *

AN:

Just to reiterate, this is basically something I've been doing in the cracks between Ashes of the Past. I'm sorry if the order's hard to follow, but it's that very jumping-around nature which lets me produce as much as I have been.

As for the bits...

Delia's not certain about what she did to J.

Ash may be used to human food, but he's still a Pokémon.

And two bits with N.

I do have the N arc pretty much worked out... there's some more bits in the middle written out, expect them soon.


	11. Chapter 11

39: (Erika episode)

* * *

"Ash, why haven't you taken that dress off yet?"

"Because we've not got back to the Pokémon centre!" Ash replied, blushing. "And-"

"You could have just changed in the corner or something," Misty muttered. "We wouldn't have looked."

"I have to say, though, Ash, that's a really good disguise," Brock admitted. "I wouldn't have known it was you without Pikachu. How'd you pull it off?"

Ash kept quiet.

The truth was more than a little embarrassing - he'd forgotten he could _just_ change to 'himself with a dress', and so his current illusion was actually female.

Pikachu was looking quite confused, but fortunately didn't seem to have worked out why.

* * *

40: (Over eleven years before the series starts)

* * *

"Raise," Cynthia said, pushing some of her chips into the table.

Gaheris frowned, considering.

" _Er... well... Call!"_

Tamamo and Cynthia exchanged glances.

"We really need to teach you to bluff sometime," Tamamo observed. "Anyway. Call."

Gaheris sighed. _"Fold, then."_

The two females - one human, one Pokémon - stared at one another for a moment, then nodded. Both revealed their hands.

"Aaargh!" Cynthia groaned. "How do you keep _doing_ that?"

Tamamo smiled as she gathered in the chits. "It's my nature," she grinned.

 _"But..."_ Gaheris frowned at the cards on the table.

There were a four, a six, a seven, and two nines.

Then he looked at the cards Cynthia had - ace and eight - and Tamamo, who had a seven and a king.

Then he looked down at his hand - two fours.

 _"But... that means... I won, doesn't it?"_

"Nope," Tamamo informed him. "You gave up. Like I said, you _really_ need to learn how to bluff - including how to tell if someone else is bluffing."

* * *

41: (In Unova)

* * *

 _"Ta-dah!"_ Luke's Zorua said, in the form of Pikachu.

For some reason, the trainers and their Pokémon did not seem all that impressed.

 _"Uh... Ta-dah?"_ she repeated, a bit less enthusiastically.

Ash sat down next to her. "Sorry, it's kind of old stuff for us now."

 _"Old stuff? Old stuff!"_ Luke's Pokémon reverted to her base form, and gave Ash a look. _"What do you mean, old stuff?"  
_  
Laura giggled, and the others looked like they were close to laughing as well.

Ash shot a glance at Laura, who frowned for a moment and nodded. "Clear."

Then-

Zorua jumped. For just a fraction of a second, there'd been something else entirely there.

 _"Are you... a Zoroark!?"_ she asked, then sniffed. Now she was looking for it, there was something...

Ash shrugged. "Sorry... your illusion was pretty good, though."

"You should see his girlfriend," Iris said dryly.

* * *

42: (Mewtwo Returns)

* * *

Ash looked up, then did a double take. "Oh, hey - look, guys, it's Mewtwo!"

"Oh, yeah, you mentioned him..." Misty frowned. "That was the time you-"

 _How exactly do you remember me?_ Mewtwo asked, startled. _I made you forget!  
_  
"I guess you forgot to do me?" Ash asked. "Or - wait, did you forget that Dark types are immune to Psychic attacks?"

 _I... may not have known that._ Mewtwo sighed. _Of course, it sounds obvious now..._

* * *

43: (Just after the Victini movie)

* * *

"This is... confusing," N admitted.

The Pidove on his arm chirped, and he smiled. "No, I believe you. Thank you for informing me."

Another chirp, and the Flying-type took wing. He circled the clearing once to see if N needed anything, was waved off by the human, and set off for home.

Once Pidove was gone, N sat down and considered what he had learned.

Both Reshiram and Zekrom had been present. Reshiram had chosen a young trainer from the Vale, and Zekrom a young outsider... and N was fairly sure he knew who the outsider was.

Ash Ketchum.

The other one who understood Pokémon - well, him and his friend Laura, that was.

If Ash was the Hero of Ideals, did that mean that...

N shook his head. No. Truth was truth, Ideals were ideals, and the clash between the two determined which was right.

But the fact that Reshiram and Zekrom had both chosen someone who was not him... it was a worry.

N thought it over, and decided that it seemed likely that the Vale trainer at least had lost Reshiram's trust.

It was hard to tell, but... somehow, it seemed more likely that the boy had not been true to himself than that Ash had broken with his ideals.

N sighed, and shook his head.

"Father made it so simple..."

Truth and Ideals would clash, and the right course would win out. He would free all Pokémon from tyranny, and lead the world into a new golden age.

But now... there were others who could do what he did. Trainers whose Pokémon loved them, who didn't keep Pokémon in Pokéballs... and, especially, Ash and Laura. Who spoke to Pokémon the same way as he did.

Though... perhaps that was only right.

The Hero of Truth and the Hero of Ideals should be evenly matched. Otherwise the wrong course might win out by accident.

Ash was the chosen of Zekrom. So be it. N would make himself worthy of Reshiram.

The green-haired teen pushed himself to his feet.

First - know your opponent. He would have to catch up to Ash, and if possible overtake him - to see what made him worthy of Zekrom, and then try to work out what Reshiram desired in a champion.

* * *

AN:

Canonically, Brock can tell a crossdresser apart because he's attracted to women no matter what they wear, and not attracted to any men.

Canonically, Ash is the exception.

This is one of the reasons ZoruAsh makes a surprising amount of sense.

Meanwhile, some Pokér; a group of people unimpressed by the Illusion ability; mindwipe immunity brought up again; and N trying to work out what's up with this kid Ash.


	12. Chapter 12

44: (Unova)

* * *

"Sorry, what did you just say?" Iris asked.

"Uh... who my dad was?" Ash frowned. "Why, is something wrong?"

Iris looked thoroughly annoyed. "Ash, sometimes you're just..."

"I don't understand either," Latias admitted. "What's the problem?"

Cilan chuckled nervously. "Let me try. Okay... so, Ash, you mentioned your father is Cynthia's Lucario."

"Well, Gaheris, yeah," Ash confirmed.

"And - from how she's reacting," Cilan went on, "I'm guessing Iris would have liked to know that sometime in the _first_ four months we've been travelling together."

"Argh!" Iris burst out. "You're, like, Cynthia's _nephew_ or something! Cynthia's amazing, and... and..."

She sighed, subsiding. "You're so modest it's sometimes really annoying. I'd kind of like to meet Cynthia..."

"I'm sure she'll turn up," Latias assured her. "Garchomp told me that Cynthia has a summer home here in Unova."

"Cilan," Iris said calmly. "I'm going to strangle one of them some day. Be ready to stop me."

* * *

45: (Just after the Paul battle in the Sinnoh League)

* * *

"This is just great..." Ash sighed. "I'm facing Tobias in the semi-final..."

"Don't worry, Ash," Brock reassured him. "You'll do fine!"

"Like I did in Hoenn?" Ash asked, his habitual optimism seemingly having deserted him.

There was silence for a moment.

"Right!" Delia said, firmly. "You listen here, mister!"

Ash jumped. "Uh-"

Delia kept going, rolling over the top of his attempt to speak. "You're not a quitter! I didn't raise you to be one, and you certainly didn't get it from your father! When we get in trouble, we get _even!"_

She paused, and shook her head. "Besides, so what if he's got a strong team? You've got a strong one too!"

"Well... Pikachu's plenty tough," Ash admitted. "And so is Charizard... I guess Gabite's really strong, too..."

 _"I'm with you for this,"_ Aaron's Lucario said, standing. _"Gaheris can't because he's Cynthia's Pokémon and must be impartial, but I am under no such constraint."_

 _"Me too!"_ Latias added firmly. _"I've learned a lot - and I'm going to help you, Ash! Don't try to stop me!"_

Ash's eyes watered slightly, and he rubbed at them. "You guys..."

Dawn was counting on her fingers. "Gabite, Charizard, Pikachu, Latias and Lucario. That's five."

She frowned. "Pretty good coverage, but you're in trouble with Psychic or Ghost types - Ghost especially. And we've got no clue what else his team has..."

Ash thought about that for a few seconds.

"Mom?"

Brock blinked. "Ash, you're not about to ask your mom to-"

"Can you manage to put up an illusion that I'm in the box?"

Dawn worked it out first. "Ash, you're not seriously going to send out _yourself_ in the Lily of the Valley tournament?"

"Everyone else battles for me," Ash pointed out. "I just want to... well, it makes sense, and..."

He shrugged helplessly.

Delia examined her son for a long moment.

"We should give it a trial run," she decided. "I can put up an illusion so it looks like you're being sent out, but we should certainly test it."

"Thanks!" Ash beamed.

* * *

46: (After the Ritchie match in the Kanto League)

* * *

 _"Ash?"_

Ash looked up. "Yeah, Pidgeotto?"

 _"I was kind of wondering..."_ she said, alighting on his arm. _"Yesterday, when I carried you to the stadium-"_

"Thank you so much for that," Ash interrupted. "I don't think I'd have won without that - they wanted to cancel-"

 _"I know, and I know you know."_ His loyal Flying-type ruffled her wings slightly. _"But... well, you're a Zorua. And I can feel right now, the illusions you make are solid. So why didn't you fly yourself?"_

Ash blinked. "Pardon?"

 _"Your illusions are solid,"_ she repeated. _"So why don't you just turn into... well, a Pidgeotto or a Swellow or something?"_

"It's not like a Ditto, I don't get the abilities of what I transform into," Ash reminded her. "Just the shape - it's an illusion."

 _"But... birds fly with their wings. It's not some special Flying-type power, or rather that only comes in when doing big manoeuvres or going at high speed. Workaday flying is just... physics."_

Ash didn't look convinced.

 _"Okay, look."_ She took off, and landed on a branch. _"Pick a Flying-type, preferably one of the small Birds."_

After a moment of thought, Ash put his bag and pendant down for safekeeping before putting his hat next to them. He glanced around out of habit, making sure no-one was around except his friends, and transformed into a small Starly.

Seeing her confusion, he shrugged. _"Professor Oak took care of one a few years ago,"_ he chirped, then glanced cross-eyed at his beak. _"That felt strange..."_

 _"Right, let's get started,"_ Pidgeotto said. She flew down, and inspected his feathers. _"Not too bad... okay, let's start with something simple. Gliding."_

 _"Doesn't gliding mean flying down? Where from?"_ Ash asked.

By way of reply, Pidgeotto hunched down. _"Get on,"_ she said. _"I'll take you high enough we can start."_

* * *

Brock glanced through a recipe book. "Hm... miso for dinner today, I think... how's Ash doing?"

"He's learning to fly," Misty said, sounding a bit incredulous.

* * *

47: (Early Kalos)

* * *

"This is a pretty cool place," Ash said, looking around. "This is the big city here, right?"

"That's right," Latias confirmed. "Lumiose City." She checked the guidebook. "This says it specializes in art and architecture."

"Guess that explains why all the buildings look all neat," Ash agreed, and Latias chuckled.

"And I guess your next question is-"

"Where's the _gym_?" Ash and Pikachu chorused, and then all three laughed.

"Actually," Latias went on, checking the book again. "It might be a good idea to leave this one until later."

"Why?" Ash asked.

"It's Electric-typed," Latias explained. "I'm sure Pikachu would be able to handle it, but..."

 _"I could,"_ Pikachu agreed.

"-but he doesn't have to," she completed. "And you might get another Pokémon or two here to train up... or maybe you'd decide to use one of your earlier Pokémon instead. But I think we should give it a miss for now."

"That makes a lot of sense," Ash agreed.

"Besides," Latias added. "I need a Pokémon from around here too, remember?"

"...I did forget that," Ash sighed. "Sorry, Laura."

After so long practicing and quite a while doing it in Unova, the assumed name came quite naturally.

"Hey," he added. "Should we have something to eat and decide where to go?"

"Sounds good," Latias agreed, and took his offered hand.

As they set off, though, there was a _zzzip_ noise from a nearby alley.

"Is it working?" a young female voice asked.

"I don't think so..." came a slightly older, male voice. "Not unless there's a Pokémon holding hands with a human the other side of that wall..."

Ash and Latias exchanged startled glances, then looked towards the alley.

Ash's transformation was solid and would hold up against almost anything, but Latias was rather more vulnerable to detection. Trying to conceal the motion, Ash took a Pokéball from his belt and readied it.

"Oh, this is useless!" the male voice said, sounding more annoyed - and getting closer. "We'll never get past Clembot with this-"

A blond-haired boy came around the corner, looked at Ash, and blinked. "Wait. That's the guy I saw on the gear..."

He pointed at Latias. "Are you a Pokémon?"

Ash's grip tightened, ready to send out Garchomp-

"Silly Clemont!" said the girl's voice, as she jumped out from the alley. "That's a girl!"

"Wha - I know that, Bonnie!" Clemont replied.

"You just asked if she's a Pokémon," Bonnie pointed out. "We'll never find you a girlfriend at this rate-"

"BONNIE!"

 _"Somehow,"_ Pikachu said, as the two apparent siblings got into an argument, _"I get the feeling we're going to end up travelling with them..."_

* * *

48: (Shortly after Dawn's Swinub evolves in Sinnoh)

* * *

"Right!" Ash said, clapping his hands. "Let's go get that gym, Pikachu!"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu agreed.

"Not so fast," Brock said, raising his hand.

Ash's face fell. "What?"

"Well," Brock pointed out. "This is a Steel-type gym, and I'd like to watch the battle... but Dawn comes first."

"I'm flattered," Dawn deadpanned.

"I've got a few ideas for helping with your Piloswine," Brock explained. "I asked Suzie for advice, and she told me there's a great Pokémon hairdresser in the city. That should perk Piloswine up!"

He winked. "Besides, if you have trouble I've got Steelix with me. I borrowed him back from my brother in Pewter."

"Sounds like a good idea," Dawn admitted. "Ash, do you want to come?"

"...I've seen Piloswine, he's got _way_ too much hair," Ash pointed out. "We'd be there for hours! I'd be too bored to cope..."

 _"Agreed,"_ Pikachu commented.

"Okay, Ash," Brock shrugged. "If you say so. But - just wait a bit until going to challenge the Canalave gym, okay?"

"Sure," Ash sighed. "I'll wait."

"Thanks!" Brock told him. "Don't worry, we won't be too long..."

Ash watched them go, and sighed.

"What now, Pikachu?" he asked. "I know I said I'd be bored there, but I'm all ready for the gym battle now..."

Pikachu shrugged, shaking his head. _"I don't know... maybe we could get some last minute training in?"_

"Maybe..." Ash considered. He looked up, and blinked. "Wait - look!"

Pikachu followed his gaze. _"She looks familiar!"_

"She does!" Ash agreed. He jogged over to the girl he'd spotted, and cleared his throat to get her attention.

Latias - in human disguise, of course - turned around to see who it was. "Ash!" she smiled, and gave him a hug. "I didn't know you were in town."

"What brings you here?" Ash asked, smiling as well - and certainly not feeling bored any more.

"Oh, I was looking around to see what Canalave had to offer," Latias explained. "I've tried some human food, but I'm not sure what's good and what's not..."

Ash glanced at the nearest clock. "I know!" he said, nodding to it. "It's about lunchtime - why don't we just get a big lunch? I've got the money, I'll pay for it - and we can each get something different, so we both get to try two things."

"Sounds fun!" Latias agreed.

* * *

"Well, at least Steelix stopped Piloswine from smashing more than one mirror," Dawn sighed. "And it was going so well..."

"Yeah, that's a pity," Brock agreed. "It seemed to be calming him down - hey, look!" he added, in a loud whisper.

Dawn followed his nod, and blinked. "Wait - isn't that Latias' usual human disguise? And that's Ash... and they're having lunch together?"

"I hope they didn't give Pikachu too much ketchup," Brock said.

"Hey, Brock?" Dawn asked, as they watched for a moment longer - seeing the two swapping bits of their meals around. "In what way is this not a date?"

"I think the only thing that's stopping it being one is that neither of them's thought of it yet," Brock chuckled.

* * *

AN:

Did I mention this fic has a Trope page?

It's fairly sparse right now, but feel free to contribute!

Anyway... Ash being oblivious, two post-league-battle conversations of different types, arriving in Kalos, and an accidental dinner date.

Incidentally, only the snips in Unova or Kalos have shown them _after_ they worked it out. Well, Latias got told by Delia before the Sinnoh League, but Ash is still oblivious as of the latest Sinnoh snip I've shown.


	13. Chapter 13

49: (The time Ash met Gary mid-Johto)

* * *

"Okay, Gary!" Ash said, once the guy with the Alakazam had left. "I challenge you to a battle!"

"Yawn," Gary replied, shaking his head. "Umbreon beat your Pikachu when she was an Eevee, I don't need to battle him."

"I don't just have Pikachu to battle you!" Ash replied, and sent out the rest of his team.

It did not go according to plan.

Noctowl perched on his hat and started to emit a long, whistling snore. Totodile began to dance around, more interested in trying to coax Cyndaquil to join in than looking fierce, and Chkorita jumped into Ash's arms. _"Missed you, Ash!"_ she told him brightly.

"But..." Ash blinked. "I last let you out at breakfast."

 _"And I still missed you!"_ Chikorita reiterated.

Gary shook his head. "Ash, you need to work on your team..."

"They're mostly quite new," Ash defended himself.

"...of course, you do have that other option," Gary went on slyly. "You could just untransform and fight me."

Dead silence.

"You what!?" Ash asked, loudly enough to startle Noctowl awake and send him flapping into the air. "How did you-"

He went pale. "...oh, crap."

"How'd you find out?" Brock asked, as Ash tried to avoid hyperventilating.

"Funny thing," Gary told him. "My Pokédex started going on about Zorua last time we fought... only Pikachu was out, so I had Eevee use Reflect. If it was disguised as Pikachu he'd have pushed through, but he didn't and Pikachu knows moves Zorua don't anyway. So..."

He shrugged.

"You better not tell anyone!" Ash demanded.

"Of course not," Gary told him. "Gramps told me not to."

A pause. "And I wouldn't have done anyway..."

* * *

50: (Shortly after Turtwig evolved to Grotle)

* * *

"What's the matter, Grotle?" Ash asked.

 _"I feel all slow,"_ Grotle reported. _"I'm trying to fight like you trained me, and I can still kind of make it work, but it's really tiring..."_

"Oh, okay..." Ash frowned. "Hold on, give me a moment."

He took his pendant off, and with a blue flash he was a mirror image of Grotle.

Ash-as-Grotle took a few experimental steps, and frowned. "Okay, I see what you mean. I'll try to think of something better..."

* * *

51: (Mid-Unova)

* * *

"This is pretty good!" Latias told Cilan, munching away. She passed some to Minccino, who bit into it with a tail wag and a happy peep.

"Thanks," Cilan smiled. "It's a special recipe!"

"You have lots of special recipes, Cilan!" Ash said, nibbling on his own. "How do you have so many?"

"Well, I try to take a little from everywhere and mix it all up!" Cilan chuckled, a little embarrassed. "Plus, when my brothers and I set up the gym, we _did_ go through a phase of demanding culinary tips from everyone who challenged us..."

Axew giggled.

There was the sound of a clearing throat.

Ash and Iris were the first to react, coming smoothly to their feet and reaching for Pokéballs. Pikachu was next, coming to a ready stance, but then relaxed visibly. _"It's okay, Ash,"_ he said, waving a paw. _"It's just N."  
_  
"Oh, hey N!" Ash called, stance relaxing as well. "What's up?"

"Ash," N said, with a frown. "I have some questions for you."

"Uh... sure, I guess," Ash nodded. "Hey, Cilan, is there much spare food?"

"I cooked enough for you _and_ Laura _and_ Iris, as well as all the Pokémon, with a lot left over," Cilan said with a smile. "Don't worry, there's food to spare."

"Great!" Ash sat down again, and grabbed one of the unopened bentos. "Here, have some!"

Somewhat hesitantly, N sat down and opened the box. He picked up the chopsticks and took a bite, then passed the next bite to a Taillow on his shoulder.

"I didn't know there were many Taillow in Unova," Ash said, around a mouthful of food.

"There aren't," N said. "Ash," he went on, putting the box down - the Taillow hopped off his shoulder, ran along his arm and began to peck happily - "I have to ask about when you encountered Zekrom."

"Uh... sure!" Ash swallowed. "Ask away!"

"Well..." N paused, then went on. "How... I know that Zekrom is the Hero of Ideals. But I don't understand how... you care for your Pokémon, but Pokémon are enslaved by those who hold their Pokéballs-"

He stopped, frowning, as all four of the trainers (and Pikachu) began to snigger.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's fine," Cilan said, trying not to smile. "Go on."

"Right..." N continued, a bit more hesitantly. "And how you can consider that ideal, I don't know - you're a nice person, but you are a human who traps Pokémon-"

N saw Ash and Laura exchange glances.

"Should I?" Ash asked.

Laura frowned. "He seems nice."

"Right." Ash nodded, and then N dropped his chopsticks.

"...what the..."

Taillow looked up, blinked, and fell over backwards in fits of laughter. There was a blue flicker as he reverted to his base form, and it was Ash's turn to look a bit surprised.

It was a little harder to read his expression, though, with his face a vulpine black muzzle streaked with red.

Laura added to the confusion by flickering blue and dispelling what turned out to be an illusion, and by that point there was the bamboozled N staring at a hat-wearing Zoroark and a hovering Latias who were in turn looking at N's hysterical Zorua with no small confusion themselves.

 _"Is anyone in the clearing secretly a Ditto, Mew or Stantler?"_ Pikachu asked. _"Because I'm starting to wonder..."_

* * *

"I still don't understand," N admitted, a few minutes later.

"Don't understand what?" Latias asked.

"Well..." N waved his hand at Ash, now ensconced in his usual illusion. "He's a Pokémon, and you're a Pokémon, and yet you still keep other Pokémon in Pokéballs."

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "It's safe, and they can get out if they want to, and it's really helpful - a Pokéball keeps what's inside it safe. And - well, I know some people try to catch Pokémon who don't want to be caught, but if they're already registered to a Pokéball that stops it happening."

"Well - yes, I know that," N said, frowning. "But it's not right. People abuse this kind of power, that's just how people are."

"Is it how you are?" Cilan asked, casually.

"No!" N said vehemently. "Of course not! But most people don't put as much thought into it as I do."

"...I have to admit, _I_ didn't put that much thought into it," Iris said, wincing. "Though I'd let Excadrill out if he wanted it. I think he just wants me to be better, rather than to be rid of me."

N gave her a disapproving look. "Have you asked him?"

 _"I did,"_ Pikachu volunteered. _"You're about right on that, Iris."_

"Oh," N said, deflating slightly. He shook his head. "Anyway - what matters is what most people are like. When given that kind of absolute power over a Pokémon, they abuse it - it's obvious."

"I've been travelling for years now, and I've only ever met a few people who'd do that!" Ash said. "Most of the people I met - especially important people, like Cynthia or Lorelei or Professor Oak - they're nothing like what you think!"

"Ash is right," Latias agreed. "People just aren't like that. They're sometimes nice and sometimes nasty - like Pokémon."

"Why is it _obvious?_ " Cilan asked. "If you don't feel like it yourself, I mean."

"Well, father said-" N began, and stopped. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"In my experience, if someone says something's just obvious then it is - to them," Cilan added. "It reminds me of food..."

"There's a surprise," Iris muttered.

"It's like when someone says that cheese, ketchup and mango go together - they think it just does, because that's what they-"

"Why wouldn't it?" Ash interrupted with a frown. "That sounds alright."

There was a pause.

"Ash, you're never cooking for us," Cilan informed him bluntly.

"Okay..."

"Even if that's true, even if most people see Pokémon as friends," N said, stubbornly, "that doesn't mean that everyone does. And even in Team Plasma I've seen people forget themselves and mistreat a Pokémon."

Cilan frowned, spotting another problem, but said nothing.

 _"Hey, N?"_ the Zorua asked, looking up from the remnants of the food plate. _"How come a Zoroark is the hero of Ideals?"_

"I was wondering that myself..." N said, thankful for the reminder.

"I have no idea what he said," Iris complained.

Ash, however, had understood. "Why shouldn't I be?" he asked. "I mean, what says they have to be a human?"

"It's obvious-" N began, and stopped. "Oh."

He frowned. "You're right, if humans and Pokémon are indeed equal then there is nothing that prevents the Hero of Zekrom - or Reshiram - from being a Pokémon."

N stood, gathering up Zorua (who took on the shape of a Joltik and bounced up to his shoulder). "You have given me a lot to think about. Thank you for your time."

* * *

After he'd gone, Cilan frowned. "That father of his doesn't sound very pleasant... and did you notice he said they mistreat Pokémon _even_ in Team Plasma? I wonder if he's only ever experienced Team Plasma, except for really nasty stuff from the outside so he gets a bad picture... that's how you get people convinced they're going to hate blancmange, they've never had a nice one..."

"That's because blancmange just _is_ horrible," Iris told him in no uncertain terms.

 _"Great job, Iris, now we get that for a week..."_ Pikachu sighed.

* * *

52: (Sometime Sinnoh)

* * *

"Okay, I think I've got that working," Ash panted, his black coat ruffled and matted from sweat.

"Ash, don't push yourself too hard," Brock reminded him. "You're not used to training as a Pokémon, at least not as much as your team is."

"I needed to get it working," Ash defended himself, walking slowly over to a plate laden with some of Brock's rice balls. Too tired to transform, he just got to eating them straight away.

"What's so important about that move, anyway?" Dawn asked. "Why do you need to be able to do Aerial Ace, anyway?"

"It's because of Fighting types," Ash mumbled, between bites. "And so I can teach my Pokémon from this region more easily."

"I guess it is a move which fits with your normal style," Brock admitted. "Hey, Ash, don't forget to chew!"

Latias came swooping in from the other side of the clearing, applied her habitual illusion, and panted. _"That was hard work,"_ she said, between breaths.

"Latias?" Brock coughed.

Latias went beet red as she realized she'd slipped up. Well, her illusion did - but by now it was well enough practiced that some things came through automatically. "Oops! Sorry, Brock!"

"It's not me who needs to be worried, it's you," Brock reminded her. "It looked like you were doing some good work over there."

"It's taking forever for me to get the Counter Shield working at the same time as making an actual attack," she said, shaking her head. "It keeps falling apart..."

She sat down next to Ash, and took her own plate of food.

"Is this with seaweed?" she asked. "It's good!"

"That's right," Brock nodded. "Extra seaweed, specifically."

"Is that good for making a Pokémon more graceful?" Dawn asked. "I heard it was a bit..."

"Well, it can be," Brock informed her. "But mainly because it's a good base for other ingredients. So you'd still need to add the same amount of berry to a poffin, it's just that it'd be a little bit firmer."

Dawn nodded along, and then a purring sound interrupted them.

Both of them looked over, and blinked.

Latias had shifted Ash a little closer to her, and was using what looked like her fingers but was probably her claws to comb her way through his fur, removing the tangles before they got too bad.

Purely to avoid interrupting Ash's lunch, she occasionally took one of the rice balls with her free hand and passed it to him to get eating.

By the sound of things, Ash _deeply_ approved of this turn of events. As they watched, one of his rear legs twitched slightly and he let out a happy sigh.

"...I'm getting my camera," Dawn whispered.

* * *

53: (Sometime Unova)

* * *

"So, Cilan, how does this thing work?" Iris asked. "You can tell what's the best Pokémon for someone?"

"Well, I make a most educated guess," Cilan replied. "It's all about what a Pokémon is and how they interact with a human - the ideal is a human and Pokémon comfortable with one another!"

"Sounds pretty cool!" Ash said. "What about for me?"

Cilan blinked. "...Ash, you're a Pokémon, and so is your girlfriend. I can't improve on that."

* * *

54: (Also sometime Unova)

* * *

Axew looked up at the Pokémon Ash had just sent out.

 _"You're big!"_ he said.

 _"And you're small!"_ Garchomp replied, picking Axew up. _"I used to be small! I blew things up with meteors!"_

 _"Sounds cool!"_ Axew agreed firmly.

"...you know, Ash?" Iris said, as she watched the two Dragon-types have an animated conversation with lots of Garchomp blade gestures. "I don't know what I was expecting from knowing you had another dragon type... but I wasn't expecting a Garchomp that... well, that."

"I've only got one Dragon-type," Ash said.

"But I've seen her Pokéball. You clearly have hers, and she has yours..."

Latias giggled.

Cilan blinked. "Uh... what are they talking about?"

Both Ash and Latias listened for a moment. Then they headed for the same rock Pikachu was hiding behind.

Not being fools, Iris and Cilan joined them. A moment later, there was a bang and a roar.

 _"Like that!"_ Garchomp said.

 _"That's pretty awesome!"_ Axew agreed. _"I want to learn that!"_

* * *

AN:

And that's the last of what I've got so far.

Sorry if the ordering's confusing to people... it's how I've been writing it, so it's this or never post it!

Right. There's Gary, being all scientific... Ash getting direct experience of Grotle's problem... another N meeting... a cute Ash-Latias oblivious scene because I like writing those... and two bits of the Unova crew messing around.

Yes, that Garchomp used to be Gible.


	14. Chapter 14

55: (Early Kalos)

* * *

"I _knew_ I recognized you!" Bonnie said, happy to have the mystery solved. "How come you didn't win the league in Unova?"

"Virgil's a great trainer," Ash replied, chuckling nervously. "He pretty much picked his team especially to beat me, too..."

"I'd have helped," 'Laura' told him. "I even offered..."

"Yeah, and I should have agreed," Ash admitted. "That Sylveon was tough, but handling me, Garchomp _and_ you would have been a bit too much for it."

"I still can't get over how _you're_ 'your Zoroark'..." Clemont muttered. "That's just crazy."

"Why?" Ash asked, confused. "What would be a problem about it?"

"...he really doesn't know," Clemont sighed.

"Hey, look!" Ash said, pointing. "There's the gym!"

He broke into a jog, and almost immediately bumped into someone coming around a corner. Ash's pendant kept the impact from breaking his illusion, but he and the girl ended up in a heap on the floor.

The little Fennekin following just behind the girl gave a worried yip. _"Mistress?"_

"Ouch," Laura said with a wince. "You okay, Ash?"

"Fine," Ash muttered, rubbing at his head. "Ow..."

"Did you say-" the girl he'd bumped into looked up quickly, then over at Ash's form as he pushed himself back onto his feet. "Wait - Ash? Ash Ketchum?"

"That's me," Ash agreed, dusting his cap off.

"Don't you recognize me?" the girl asked.

"Wait..." Ash frowned, trying to remember.

 _"Serena, who's this?"_ Fennekin asked.

"Serena?" he repeated. "Oh, yeah, now I remember! From summer camp, years ago back in Pallet!"

"That's right!" Serena agreed. "But..."

She frowned.

"You look way too young, now I think about it..."

"You knew Ash when he was younger?" Laura asked, frowning. "I see... well, I don't mind if you want to-"

Serena waved her hands. "No, we were just-"

"I mean, you met him first-"

"It was years ago-"

"What's going on?" Ash asked, now thoroughly confused.

 _"Afternoon,"_ Pikachu said, hopping off Ash's shoulder and deciding to have a conversation with Fennekin instead of keep track of the other one. _"Are you her starter?"_

"That's right!"

Fennekin agreed. She sniffed. _"This boy - your trainer - smells strange. Like... well, a bit like me, but not very."_

"There's actually a story about that-"

Pikachu began, then winced as Fennekin sniffed a bit too hard and sneezed. _"You okay?"  
_  
Fennekin shook her head as the antithesis of an argument continued overhead.

 _"Might be hayfever... I know a Zorua who used to get that when he went to new places in spring. I'll see if we've got any of the medicine left..."  
_  
Clemont, for his part, was gaping. "Okay, I can understand the thing with the childhood friend, I guess, but..."

"Really!" Serena said firmly. "I'm just a friend, and not much of one. That's all."

Laura nodded. "Right." A pause. "Well, nice to meet you."

Serena smiled. "Thanks! Uh... where were you guys going?"

"I'm going to the gym!" Ash explained. "Well, so is Laura..."

"...though I'm going to use my Unova team," Laura continued. "I've not caught any Pokémon in Kalos yet..."

"See, Clemmie?" Bonnie asked. "Ash has much better luck with girls than you, and he's a Pokémon!"

"Bonnie!" Clemont hissed.

Serena's expression became slightly fixed. "What did she just say?"

Laura sighed. So did Ash, and Pikachu looked a bit downcast too.

 _"That's what I was smelling!"_ Fennekin said triumphantly, brushing at her nose. She blinked. _"Wait. That's not normal-"  
_  
"Bonnie, don't tell secrets that aren't yours to tell!" Clemont said.

"But she's Ash's friend..." Bonnie said, a little hurt.

"I know, but things like that sometimes aren't told even to friends," Clemont went on.

"What do they mean you're a Pokémon?" Serena asked. "How's that possible?"

"Let's find somewhere out of the way," Laura suggested. "We may as well show her now..."

* * *

56: (Advance Generation)

* * *

"I don't need to!" Ash said, shaking his head. "It's always just been a couple of days, and I'm fine."

"You're pretty hurt, Ash," Brock said. "And this time we can help you. We _know_ \- and we're your friends."

Ash still looked stubborn, though the wince and rub at his injured side made it less than convincing.

"It's this or herbal medicine," Brock added. "The really bad tasting stuff, because that's the stuff that works."

"...fine."

* * *

"Can you heal my Pokémon, please?" Max asked.

"Certainly," the Joy replied. "Oh - I've never seen this kind of Pokémon before. What is it?"

"Zorua," Ash said.

"They're usually from Unova, I think," Max explained.

"How'd you get a Pokémon all the way from Unova?" Joy asked, running the scanner over Ash. "Well, he's got a few nasty scrapes - has he been fighting opponents too tough for him?"

"It was a friend," Max answered the first question. "And - yeah, he really doesn't know when to give up."

Ash gave Max an irritated look, unable to reply.

Somehow, he could _tell_ Max was enjoying this.

* * *

57: (Unova)

* * *

"You see, N?" Ghetsis asked, shaking his head sadly. "This is just one of the many proofs that humans and Pokémon cannot live together without strife. That is the sad truth."

N nodded, considering the report.

It was true - Pokémon were abused by humans regularly.

But.

Since his conversation with Ash - and his friends, the Legendary, the dragon girl and the chef... there had always been a _but_.

Before, N would have regarded this report being from Hoenn with little more than mild curiosity.

But... now, he wondered. Was it from Hoenn simply because there were no closer examples?

"Father," he began, and Ghetsis looked up. "On my travels, I have seen people who do live with Pokémon, and the Pokémon are happy."

Ghetsis waved his hand. "A case of brainwashing," he said simply. "The Pokémon do not know they could be free."

"I see," N said, nodding. "Though I did mention it to them specifically."

"Nevertheless." Ghetsis smiled, slightly. "I appreciate it is hard for you, the chosen of Truth, to recognize how people feel when trapped in illusions."

Before, N would have accepted that - if he asked the question at all.

But.

This time, he could tell that his point hadn't actually been answered - Father had simply said the odd platitude and acted as though the answer was obvious.

N wasn't sure. His suspicions had been awakened, but he simply was not _sure_ that his father was not acting in good faith.

"Remember, N," Ghetsis said, cutting in on his thoughts. "The awakening of Reshiram is soon. Remember to be there."

N nodded. "I will be, father," he said.

"Where will you be before then?"

"Meditating," N answered. "Contacting Pokémon, and seeking understanding of my role."

Well, it was true. N was going to be asking Pokémon about this.

Two in particular.

* * *

58: (Sinnoh period)

* * *

"Hey, girl!" Ash waved. "Hey!"

There was a high call overhead, and one of the circling specks separated from the flock. It approached with great speed until, wings flaring, Pidgeot came down to land.

Ash raised his arm, and she alighted on the forearm portion.

"That's even more ridiculous than the Hippopotas!" Brock complained.

"She's lighter than Larvitar was," Ash replied. "How've you been, Pidgeot?"

"Should we-" Dawn began.

"No," Brock sighed. "It doesn't help."

* * *

59: (Kalos)

* * *

"Bonnie! Ash!" Clemont called. "Can you get back across the chasm?"

Ash blinked. "Uh, yeah... Latias?"

"Yep?" Latias asked brightly.

"Can you give us a lift, please?"

Latias nodded, then dispelled her illusion in a flash of light. She skimmed over the Drifblim, took Bonnie's hands, and carried her back over to her brother.

As Clemont hugged her, Latias smiled before looking over at her boyfriend.

Ash was busily packing his hat, belt and pendant into his bag. Once done, he flashed blue and transformed into an Unfezant.

Latias started giggling.

"What?" Ash asked, picking up his bag and flying back over.

"Ash... your Unfezant's a girl."

Ash blinked. "Oh, right..."

He transformed back with a flash, and put his hat back on. "Whoops... I keep forgetting that..."

* * *

AN:

A few I missed, and a couple of new ones.

Incidentally, there's a fair number of bits of the story I've decided on but not written out. When Ash evolved, when he and Latias got together, the results of the Leagues, and so on.


	15. Chapter 15

60: (Mid-Johto)

* * *

"All right!" James enthused, as their balloon slowly began to soar skywards. "It was a lot of effort, but we got it!"

"Yeah!" Meowth agreed. "Dis is gonna make us a whole boatload o' cash! Imagine how much dey'd pay for a real live Omastar!"

"A Pokémon that's barely been seen in millions of years?" Jessie asked, rhetorically. "We're loaded!"

"Sounds great!" Omastar agreed.

The Rockets chuckled for a moment longer, then stopped. One by one, they turned to the trussed-up Rock/Water type.

"Did it just-" James began.

"Oh, not again..." Meowth moaned.

Omastar stuck its tongue out.

There was a flicker of blue light, and the ropes fell slack.

"Stop dat twerp!" Meowth shouted, and the three of them ended up in a heap as Ash kicked off the side of the basket and evaded their reaching hands. He decoyed Arbok out of position, used Weezing as a foothold and jumped up to the gas burner.

The Zorua pressed one of the buttons, then jumped clear as the burner went to full power. Another blue flicker, and he headed downwards as a Pidgeotto.

The Rockets were a little busy at this point, as the balloon began to rock wildly from side to side and spoil their attempts at getting up.

"Looks like Team Rocket's been outfoxed again..." Jessie muttered.

* * *

61: (Tobias battle, part one)

* * *

Ash took a deep, steadying breath.

"You'll be okay, Ash," his mother said, from her seat behind him. "Remember - just do your best."

Ash nodded. "Right. Right!"

He touched the Pokéballs at his waist, one by one.

"Thank you all," he said, quietly. "And you, Pikachu."

Pikachu gave Ash a thumbs-up.

"Will both contestants send out their first Pokémon!" the referee called.

Ash had already chosen what to send out first. "Lucario!"

"Darkrai!" Tobias called, at the same moment.

* * *

Lucario landed with slightly bent knees, absorbing the impact with ease, and faced across the battlefield at his opponent.

" _It is interesting to see one of the Pitch Black Pokémon on a tournament field,"_ he said. _"What brings you here?"_

Darkrai shrugged.

Lucario waited a moment longer, to see if there was anything actually going to be said. When nothing was forthcoming, he shrugged.

" _Very well. We'll sort this out the old fashioned way."_

Darkrai opened up by putting his hands together, and producing a ball of darkness. Lucario watched it come in for a moment, judging the speed, then blurred to his right and avoided the attack.

A blue glow built in his off hand, and he whipped that arm around to fire an Aura Sphere back at Darkrai. The Legendary blocked it with a wave of his hand and a Dark Pulse, but that was a moment he wasn't launching forth another Dark Void attack.

Lucario didn't want to have too many of those fired at him. He remembered that it could be done as a spray, which was much more likely to hit him.

"Lucario!" Ash called, getting his attention. "Can you dodge them with Detect?"

" _Fairly well,"_ Lucario replied, and then had to focus on handling an incoming Ice Beam. He raised his blue-pulsing palms to deflect the beam, splitting it into two which went either side of him, and as they formed splashes of ice on the floor he swept his paws down again and exploded forwards. Divots of grass came flying up as he sprinted, covering the distance between himself and his foe at full speed.

"Dark Void, quick!" Tobias said.

The purple-black attack pulsed out again, and Lucario jinked to one side – the Dark-type attack missed, and he hit the ground fairly hard before shedding momentum by skidding with both feet and one forepaw on the grass.

The ancient warrior's free forepaw pumped forwards with a hastily-formed Aura Sphere – one which made Darkrai shield almost reflexively – and then lunged.

His first melee blow was a Force Palm, which aimed for centre-of-mass but crackled home on Darkrai's forearm. The Dark-type flinched back, stung, then swiped in return and tried to gain height.

Unwilling to concede that advantage, Lucario pushed off from the ground and pressed his attack during the leap.

* * *

"How's he doing?" Cynthia asked. "I think this is the first time you've had a chance to see him fight seriously."

" _You're right,"_ Gaheris nodded. _"His style is... well, old fashioned would be an understatement. He's focusing on close-in combat because it stops Darkrai from using his best moves, yes, but beyond that..."_

He frowned. _"That was unusual – did you see it?"_

"...no, sorry, it was too fast. What happened?" Cynthia squinted, as the two Pokémon clashed back and forth – Lucario a whirl of shining blue and silvery metal, Darkrai periodically cloaked in darkness.

" _That was a Force Palm that connected from at least six inches away – almost a blue_ spike _of Aura-"_

Darkrai used some purplish-blue attack, and there was an explosion which sent both Pokémon backwards – away from one another.

"That was Ominous Wind!" Cynthia said, blinking.

A moment later, Darkrai regained his balance. Legs came out of his shadowy lower half, and a ball of purplish-black energy formed between his hands.

Lucario threw another Aura sphere and advanced, and was about halfway back to Darkrai when the Dark Void fired.

* * *

This time, it was the wide spread Lucario had feared. It blasted out in a near-solid wave, and the best his Detect could do was show him a space where only three of the attacks would hit him.

Force Palms glowed in both paws, and he lashed out to destroy them.

The third one, however, got through.

* * *

"Lucario!" Ash called, seeing the impact. "Fight it! Stay awake!"

The rippling dark energy spread out to enfold Lucario, then dissipated – leaving him staggering, eyes closed, arms dangling by his side.

* * *

-Lucario was surrounded by war and darkness.

All around were armies, fighting and pushing and at war.

Sir Aaron, his dear friend, was gone...

"Lucario! It's just a nightmare!"

That was not Sir Aaron's voice.

But it was that of a friend.

* * *

"What's going on?" Dawn asked, startled, as the crackling energy of the Dark Void began to reappear – a crackling skin over Lucario's body, thickening as she watched.

"I don't know," Brock admitted. "But it looks like-"

* * *

With a cry of triumph, Lucario's paws came up and _ripped_ the Dark-type energy from his body.

It swirled around his paws for a moment, then vanished – leaving a swirling bright blue in its place.

The glow spread to Lucario's entire body, and when Darkrai tried to put him under again he lashed out and destroyed the Dark Void with a back-handed blow. His Aura blazed up higher with the impact, and Lucario put some of it to use by charging an Aura Sphere and launching it off to clip Darkrai's arm.

Then he charged.

* * *

"Gaheris?" Cynthia asked.

" _Righteous heart,"_ Gaheris said softly. _"Dark Void's not going to work any more."_

Darkrai seemed to reach the same conclusion. Backing swiftly, he formed a ball of flame instead in his cupped hands and threw it at the oncoming Steel-type.

Lucario pushed through it, using an Aura-infused punch to blow away the worst of it, then launched into a devastating Close Combat combination.

* * *

Tobias blinked. "Darkrai, what's going on?"

There was a crackle of back-and-forth attacks, Darkrai firing out a Dark Pulse which made Lucario grunt but just made the shining Aura cloaking his forearms brighter, and then the Pitch-Black Pokémon forced the range open with another Ominous Wind.

"Why can't you put him to sleep?" Tobias asked, as Lucario landed heavily before coming back to his feet. "Maybe..."

Darkrai glanced back at him, raising his arms in a shrug.

"Well..." Tobias thought quickly. The Fire attack had been a good one, but this Lucario had managed to block it somehow... and Dark attacks seemed to just be making Lucario stronger.

"Thunderbolt's too quick to block, use that!"

Darkrai nodded, spinning aside to avoid Lucario's latest attack, and volleyed out a blast of electrical energy which ran up Lucario's arms in a shower of sparks.

That seemed to finish him, and Lucario collapsed exhausted a moment later.

"Good," Tobias said, relieved – though disconcerted by how much trouble the Lucario had been.

There was a red flash from the Ketchum boy's side of the field.

* * *

"Nice work, Lucario," Ash said, putting the Pokéball aside. "Have a good long rest."

Then he glanced at his starter. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

* * *

Tobias frowned. A Pikachu?

Interesting choice, admittedly – but not really able to cope with Darkrai like the Lucario had been.

"Dark-" he began, and then there was an earsplitting BANG as Pikachu used Thunder.

* * *

"All right, Pikachu!" Ash grinned. "Great work, buddy!"

Pikachu grinned back at him, cheeks still sparking.

In the centre of the stadium, Darkrai hit the floor and crumpled forwards.

* * *

"...what?" Tobias said, thoroughly startled. "What's that Pikachu been eating?"

He shook his head, focusing. There was a perfectly sensible explanation, actually – Lucario had done a _lot_ of damage to Darkrai, and this Pikachu was fast enough to get in a blow before Darkrai could focus.

Looked at that way, the choice made perfect sense. Impressive tactical thinking from the young trainer.

"Return," he said, calling back Darkrai.

He glanced down at his belt.

"Your turn," he added, and threw the second Pokéball.

* * *

62: (End-Sinnoh)

* * *

 _"Hey, brother!"  
_  
Latios perked up, and took to the air from his patch of flattened grass. _"Latias! It's been a while - I've not seen you in a month!"  
_  
Latias had the grace to look embarassed, rubbing the back of her neck with one clawed arm. _"Uh... sorry, I guess. I was kind of busy."_ A pause. _"Mostly training."_

 _"Yes, Bianca told me about your competing in another league match. The semi final, I think?"_ Latios tilted his head. _"But that was a week ago, at least... were you busy?"_

 _"Yes!"_ Latias said immediately. _"Very busy."_

 _"Doing what?"_ Latios asked his sister.

She blushed. _"Well..."  
_  
Her hands fidgeted with one another, and she looked down. _"Uh... well, that's kind of what I wanted to tell you about. I realized something - something important."  
_  
A deep breath. _"I realized I'd... kind of fallen in love with Ash."_

 _"Oh, is that all?"_ Latios asked.

Latias fell out of the air.

 _"Pardon!?"_ she gaped. _"That's all you have to say?"_ As she asked that, she pushed off the ground and floated back into the air. _"It was a huge moment!"_

 _"Latias, it was outrageously obvious,"_ he told her bluntly. _"You can barely keep quiet about him, sis... for that matter I kind of noticed back when he was in Altomare."_

Latias blushed. _"...that long, huh?"_

 _"Long enough I'm thoroughly used to the idea, yes,"_ Latios confirmed.

 _"Well... that's not quite the only thing,"_ Latias said, rallying a bit. _"I found out - just the day before yesterday - that_ he _likes_ me _as-"_

"Knew it," Latios interrupted. _"Did you finally ask him out, then?"_

 _"Latios!"_ Latias said, startled. _"You knew that too?"_

 _"I guessed,"_ Latios admitted. _"Not that it was hard... anyway. Congratulations, sister - Ash clearly makes you happy, so I'm happy for you."_

 _"Thank you,"_ she said, and impulsively embraced him.

* * *

63: (Unova)

* * *

"Calm down, Scraggy!" Laura admonished. "What's gotten into you?"

 _"There was a Gothita, aunt Laura!"_ Scraggy said, clinging to her arm. _"It was pulling on my arm! I didn't like it!"_

"What's the problem?" Cilan asked.

"Something about a Gothita," Laura told him. "But... hold on."

The eyes of her disguise closed, and she reached out for a moment.

"I can tell there's a Gothita out there, but there's something else as well - powerful," Latias reported. "I'm not sure what it is - can you tell anything more, Ash?"

Ash squinted, using his intermittent Aura Sight. "Well, I can see _something_ , but I don't know what-"

The wind changed.

"Ash!" his friends gasped, as Ash promptly collapsed. His illusion went down, and his legs twitched in the air for a moment.

"What happened?" Laura asked, bending down. "Ash, are you okay?"

Cilan sniffed. "Ew. What a horrible smell..."

"...I think I know what's going on," Iris said. "Ash is a Zoroark - his sense of smell's really good. And that smells horrible to _us_ \- imagine what it must be like for him..."

"You're right!" Cilan agreed. "That must be a Trubbish or Garbodor or something. Luckily I have just the thing - some special top-quality smelling salts!"

"Why do you even _pack_ all this stuff?" Iris asked, thrown.

"In case of just this kind of problem!" Cilan informed her matter-of-factly.

* * *

64: (Unova League Conference)

* * *

"Okay, Jump Kick!" Ash ordered, and Deerling ducked underneath an attack from Cameron's Lucario before launching himself high into the air.

"Counter it with Force Palm!" Cameron called out.

Ash winced - Lucario was Fighting type, and that would give him the advantage here...

Orange coat whipping a little in the wind, Deerling came crashing down with both forehooves. Lucario drew back a palm and lashed out, and the two attacks collided with an almighty BANG.

As Ash had expected, his Deerling came off the worst overall. The Grass-type was knocked back, landed heavily on his side, and scrambled upright.

On the other hand, Lucario didn't look in great shape either. He'd already had to handle two other members of Ash's team...

It would be close.

"Come on, Ash!" Laura called from the stands, and Ash's sharp ears picked it up.

He smiled to himself, glad for the support.

"Copycat!" Cameron ordered.

"Bounce!" Ash countered quickly.

Lucario used Copycat, duplicating the attack Deerling had already used, and launched himself high into the air in a Jump Kick of his own.

Deerling's Bounce nearly took him out of the way - nearly. He hit Lucario on the way up, hooves out, and the two Pokémon went flying apart from their latest impact.

When Ash's Pokémon landed, however, it was no longer _Deerling._

Sawsbuck shook his brown, leaf-covered antlers, and regarded Lucario steadily for a moment.

"Great! Sawsbuck, let's do this!" Ash called, glad that the evolution seemed to have cleared some of the Grass-type's fatigue. "Grassy terrain!"

Sawsbuck's antlers glowed, then so did the grass. Green shoots wormed their way up into the light, and the air filled with the scent of new-mown grass.

"Okay, Lucario, we can win this!" Cameron said. "Aura Sphere, then close in and attack!"

"Rain Dance!" Ash went on, hoping this would work properly.

As the rain started, Sawsbuck skipped aside away from the Fighting-type attack, before turning on his heel and kicking out at Lucario to fend him off.

The Double Kick wasn't as good as the High Jump Kicks had been, lacking a lot of the force, but it was good enough to keep Lucario at a distance.

Ash watched the floor of the stadium, trying to judge his moment. It had to be wet, but not too wet... just starting to form puddles.

"Now!"

Sawsbuck kicked out one more time with his hind legs, catching Lucario a glancing blow on his forearm, then kicked off into the air and used Nature Power.

The result was an Earthquake. It shook the stadium floor, making the puddles dance and shiver - and, finally, overwhelming Cameron's tired Lucario.

Ash let out an explosive breath. If that hadn't worked just right, he'd been just about out of ideas...

"Great work, Sawsbuck!" he said, smiling, and Sawsbuck shot him a smile back. Then, rearing in the air, he shook out his antlers again.

"Showoff!" Iris called from the stands.

* * *

65: (Kalos)

* * *

Ash lay back, watching as everyone settled in for the night.

Pikachu was lecturing Dedenne on how to use an electrical attack - it sounded like Thunderbolt - more easily, and Laura's Servine was practicing Vine Whip. On Fletchling.

He briefly thought about intervening, but the chirping laughter from his newest Flying-type made it sound like he was enjoying the game. Which was nice.

On the other side of the clearing, Froakie and Chespin were talking quietly. He was too far away to hear it, but they seemed happy too.

"Nice evening, isn't it?" Laura asked, lying down next to him. After a momentary check, she dropped her illusion - preferring to relax as she was for a bit.

Copying her, Ash took his pendant off and returned to his base form. "Yeah," he agreed.

For a minute or so, they just lay there.

"Look," Latias said, pointing. "I think Serena's teaching Bonnie something."

Ash followed her pointing finger, and smiled at the sight - Serena was walking Bonnie through how to tie a bow in her own hair.

 _"Uh... excuse me?"  
_  
Both Pokémon looked down.

Fennekin cleared her throat, and began uncertainly. _"Uh... yeah, can I get some advice?"  
_  
"Sure!" Ash agreed readily. "What do you want?"

 _"Well..."_ Fennekin looked embarrassed. _"It's really kind of silly... I was wondering if you know a good shampoo? My fur keeps being knotted up by the one we're using now."  
_  
"That's not silly at all," Ash assured her. "Uh... I'm not sure what I use, though, I've not really looked at what's available in Kalos..."

"It's because I get it," Latias giggled. "You can borrow it, I'll get some more next time we're in a town with a Mart."

 _"Thanks!"_ Fennekin said, smiling, but didn't get it immediately. _"And... there was another thing, too."  
_  
Ash motioned for her to go on.

 _"Was it hard when you evolved?"_ she asked. _"I mean... I know Braixen walk on two legs, and I'm uncertain how well I'll do..."  
_  
"Well, when I evolved..." Ash began, and paused - though the memory brought a smile to his lips for a moment. "Oh, yeah... that could be a problem, I was really used to walking on two legs from being transformed. So I'm not much help..."

He frowned. "Maybe you can ask Latias' Pignite? He went from four legs to two."

 _"Thanks, I'll do that,"_ Fennekin said.

"And - don't be scared of evolving," Ash added. "Pikachu doesn't want to because he prefers how he is now, and that's fine, but there's nothing dangerous about it."

Fennekin thought that over, then nodded. _"Okay. Thanks!"  
_

She hurried over to Latias' bag, and got out the shampoo. _"And thanks for this, too!"_

* * *

AN:

* * *

Wow, more than I thought. Whoops...

The Tobias battle will be spread out a bit.

As for the other stuff... I worked out what to have Team Rocket do post-realization, a couple of scenes in Unova (including the end of his battle with Cameron) and some interactions in Kalos.


	16. Chapter 16

66: (Early Unova)

* * *

"Okay, Tepig!" Latias said, pointing. "Use Ember!"

 _"Got it!"_ Tepig nodded, and spat flame.

The Snivy dodged around the Fire attack with a serpentine grace, and then used Attract.

Tepig promptly stopped fighting, too busy gazing at her - at least, until she engulfed him in a Leaf Storm and he was knocked out.

"Pikachu, you help!" Ash instructed, and Pikachu launched himself off Ash's shoulder to join the battle.

Snivy promptly used Attract again, and Pikachu's interest in the battle collapsed as well.

"This could be tricky," Latias frowned, as Snivy peppered both Pikachu and Oshawott with leaves before using her vines to leave the clearing.

No response.

"Ash?"

Ash was blinking rapidly, shaking his head. "What was that?"

Latias sighed, then rolled up her Guide To Unova pamphlet into a cylinder and rapped Ash sharply on the nose.

"Ow!" Ash complained, rubbing the stinging appendage. "What was that for?"

"Snivy caught you in the fringes of that Attract," Latias explained. "You were pretty out of it, though at least you weren't acting like Pikachu still is."

 _"What a Pokémon..."_ Pikachu mumbled, eyes still shimmering.

* * *

"Your turn, Pidove!" Ash called, standing up from their lunch. "You should be fine!"

Snivy skipped aside from Pidove's first attack run, frowned, and fired off an Attract.

When that didn't work, she got caught a stinging blow by Pidove's Peck, and thought visibly for a second.

Then she used Attract again. Not aimed at Pidove - at Ash directly. The moment that was done, she sent a vine skywards to interfere with Pidove's next attack.

 _"Master?"_ Pidove called, looking for advice.

She didn't get it. Ash was too busy frowning and trying to concentrate, clearly not easy prey for the Attract but not immune either.

Latias rolled her eyes, picked up her drink and splashed it in his face, making him sputter.

While they were distracted, Snivy managed to escape again.

"You don't think maybe you two should stop trying?" Iris asked.

Latias shook her head. "This is personal now."

* * *

"Got you now!" Ash said, as Snivy looked up at the tall cliff barring her exit from the battlefield.

She spun, and pulsed out yet another Attract.

Latias promptly Returned her boyfriend. "Sorry, Ash," she said, lowering the Pokéball. "Wasn't much choice."

 _"That does explain why it worked on him..._ " Snivy mused. _"I guess you're going to come after me with that Pidove then? I'll handle her easily."  
_  
"Not so much," Latias replied. She smiled.

It wasn't an especially nice smile.

"I don't like people using attacks on Ash."

There was a blue flash, as she dropped her illusion and revealed her true form.

Snivy gulped, which was quite difficult for a snake.

* * *

67: (Post-League Sinnoh)

* * *

"Ash, my boy, well done!" Professor Oak said, shaking his hand. "It's a great achievement for someone so young - and your battle with Aaron was a masterful use of your Pokémon!"

"Thanks, Professor," Ash replied, letting his hand be shaken. "I kind of wish I'd been able to _beat_ Aaron, though..."

"He's a member of the Elite Four who's been one longer than you've been a trainer, it's not surprising you had trouble with him. That Tobias, though... well, I'm going to be bringing my recording of that battle out for years. Well done, Ash!"

Ash chuckled. "Thanks!"

As Oak smiled and stepped back a bit, Ash looked around the party.

It had had to be an open-air one, simply because there were so _many_ Pokémon he wanted to attend - as well as Cynthia, Brock, his friends from other regions... even Misty had found time in her schedule to come up and congratulate him. Fortunately, Cynthia had offered to let them use her official residence in the same town as the stadium, and it had gardens plenty big enough.

"We've come a long way, huh, Pikachu?" he said, reaching up to scratch the electric-type, and Pikachu nodded agreement as he leaned into the scratch. "I'm glad of all the help."

 _"We did it together,"_ Pikachu replied with a grin. _"Especially Tobias..."_

Ash nodded, and passed one of the last two nibbles on his plate up to his starter. As Pikachu ate it happily, he finished off the other one.

"I think whoever cooks for Cynthia might actually be better than Brock..."

 _"It's her Garchomp and Roserade,"_ Pikachu reported. _"I saw them bringing some out."_

"Really?" Ash blinked. "Huh. Neat."

Glancing around, he noticed that Latias was having a chat with his Mom and Dad. She looked a little nervous about something, and Ash frowned.

"Wonder what they're talking about..."

Pikachu shrugged.

There was a distraction for the next couple of minutes, as he had to break up an argument about pies between Quilava and Charizard.

He didn't know either.

* * *

When that was sorted out - no thanks to Staraptor, who'd wandered through the middle and nearly turned it into a fight - he sighed with relief, then looked up at a cough.

"Ash?" Latias asked, hands together and fidgeting slightly. "I've... got something to tell you."

"Sure!" he said. "What is it?"

She swallowed.

 _"I... I love you."_

Ash blinked.

For a moment, it was almost as though he hadn't heard the words... and then, things began _making sense_.

It was a bit like that moment when a new move clicked, or when a strategy gelled in the middle of a battle - suddenly, what had been confusing was somehow simple and obvious.

 _That_ was the word for it.

Before he could say anything, though, Latias moved forwards. Slowly, hesitantly... and then she kissed him, and the world went soft around the edges.

When she broke away, she immediately turned red. _"Sorry! I-"_

"That was nice," he interrupted her. "I guess that means I must love you too."

The look of relief that flashed across Latias' face made his heart soar, and then it was his turn to kiss her.

Ash was a bit indistinct on how long that lasted. When it ended, though, he could hear applause.

Latias blinked. _"You... Ash? You're..."_

She pointed down.

That was about when Ash discovered he was no longer a Zorua. His illusion had collapsed at some point - he wasn't sure when - but he was still about the same shape and size as he had been when in his disguise.

 _"Oh, sure,"_ Pikachu muttered, getting up off the floor and rubbing a bruised side - apparently the transition hadn't been good for his footing. _"Meet Arceus? Battle a Legendary? Fine... but finally realize you're in love?_ That's _when you evolve!"_

Ash began to blush under his fur.

"About time!" Brock called, and then there was laughter.

Ash didn't mind it, though. It was a gentle, friendly laughter, happy for him and for Latias.

"I love you," he said, and it was easier this time. More familiar.

Latias's smile shone, and she threw her arms around him.

"Where are you going next?" she asked, softly. "Can I come?"

"Well, Brock and Dawn and I were going to visit Coronet City," Ash told her. "But then I'm off to Unova. And sure you can come - we can do it together."

"I like _together,_ " she said. "I think I'd like more _together_."

* * *

68: (Mid-Unova)

* * *

"...okay, here's how flying works," Ash said, crouching down to the little Archen. "When wind's flowing over your wings fast enough, it results in lift - so you fly because of having your wings held right, you don't always need to flap."

 _"Uh..."_ Archen frowned. _"Okay? I think? How can I get moving fast enough?"  
_  
"Well, flapping's how you pick up speed until that works... but I guess you're a bit heavy." Ash frowned for a bit. "I know!"

He promptly turned into a Pidgeot.

Archen took a step back. _"What!?"  
_  
"Oh, I get it..." Latias said, nodding.

"Tranquill, can you help show him?" Ash asked, drawing back his great big wings. "Okay, Archen, I'm going to make a wind so you can see what I mean. Hold your wings out straight... that's right, like Tranquill is."

 _"This feels funny..."  
_  
"I felt the same way... okay, here goes!"

Ash brought his wings forwards.

Archen's own wings generated lift for about half a second. Then she lost it, and the tail end of the brief gale picked her up and whirled her off into the distance.

Latias took off from a standing start and caught her before she hit the ground. _"Sorry about that,"_ she said. _"Maybe we should start you out slower?"_

"Sounds good..." Archen muttered, head spinning.

* * *

69: (Unova)

* * *

"That's mine!" Iris shouted. "Give it back!"

"Not likely," the man said, casting aside his suit.

"Especially not now!" his companion added, sweeping her dress off in one motion.

"Team Rocket!?" Ash asked, startled.

"What a question, twerpish indeed!" Jessie began.

"I haven't seen you guys in over a year!" Ash went on, more or less ignoring the motto. "Where've you been?"

"We'll answer those questions when we feel the need!" James recited in turn, looking annoyed at the interruption.

"Ash, you know these guys?" Cilan asked.

"Well, I kept running into them in Kanto and Johto," Ash explained, as Jessie and James started going on about the blinding white light of evil and the hammer of justice. "Hoenn too, but after a while they kinda stopped. I wondered what happened to them..."

"Ash, focus!" Iris said. "That Dragon Fang's from my mother! I can't just lose it like this!"

Ash shrugged. "Hey! Where's Meowth?"

The two Rockets slumped slightly.

"It's just not the same without him..." James muttered.

"You're right there," Jessie agreed. "The motto just doesn't work..."

"Where is he?" Ash asked, a little concerned now. For all their run-ins, his fellow Pokémon-trying-to-be-human was vaguely a friend. "Did something happen?"

"None of your business!" Jessie said sharply.

"Is it why you went missing for over a year?" Ash asked. "I actually kind of missed you guys."

"That's nice of the twerp, you have to admit," James told his partner.

Jessie shook her head. "I don't care! We're not telling him it was maternity leave!"

There was only the chirping of Pidove in the trees for a few seconds.

"You what?" Ash asked, blinking. "Maternity leave?"

He pointed. "You mean - you two-"

"Is that so surprising?" Jessie asked, rounding on him, and making the disguised Zoroark take a step back.

"Well, you don't look especially maternal..." Iris said with a frown.

"...can you get Brock back?" James asked. "He had better manners than these new twerps."

"Hey!" Iris and Cilan both called.

"You two had a kid?" Ash asked, still a bit hung up on that.

"Two!" Jessie said, apparently deciding to go the whole Emboar now it had been said. "Bill and Jane."

 _"Is that where Meowth is, I wonder..."_ Pikachu asked.

* * *

"I told yas, heat it up properly!" Meowth said sternly. "Dat don't mean just blastin' it with flame and hopin' for the best!"

James' Growlithe, Growlie, looked downcast. _"Sorry... I just wanted to help."_

 _"I think I managed to get them calmed down,"_ Chimecho reported. _"They like Oranges and Lemons."_

"Dis ain't the time to give 'em fruit!"

* * *

"Anyway!" Jessie said. "You're not getting this back, Twerpette!"

Iris clenched her fists.

Then a very fast invisible blur snatched the prized artefact out of Jessie's hands.

Latias shimmered blue and decloaked. "Got it!" she said triumphantly, holding it up.

"Thanks, Latias!" Iris said, a broad grin breaking out.

"...Oh, that's right," James said, nodding to himself. "There was that report that said Ash had started travelling with-"

A crackle interrupted him.

"Chuu!" Pikachu said happily.

"...I don't think we need Meowth to translate that one," Jessie said weakly.

Then they were, as usual, sent Blasting Off Again.

* * *

AN:

* * *

Kind of a relationship focused one this time. Mostly coincidental.

Ash is a Pokémon, and not immune to Attract. He is resistant, though... but Snivy really managed to annoy Latias there.

As for why... well, see the middle bit.

This is The Big Moment for that whole romance arc, and something I've been planning for weeks. I really hope I did it justice.

Taking a break from that theme for a moment... the little revived Archen that had to learn to fly.

And finally a completely different relationship. (It is, incidentally, canon based on the Japanese version of the second movie that those two are in a relationship. Meowth flat out says so.

So I decided... why not?)


	17. Chapter 17

70: (Kanto)

* * *

 _"You know how you like Pokémon food?"_ Pikachu asked Ash, apropos of nothing much.

"Yeah?" Ash replied – unable to deny it had happened, he'd just decided to act as though he found it surprisingly good now he'd tried it.

 _"Well..."_ Pikachu looked a bit uncertain, but nodded. _"I know Brock makes you a bit now just in case you feel like some, but it got me thinking. Can I have a bit of your dinner?"_

Ash glanced down at his plate - burger, lettuce and chips. "I guess... why?"

 _"Just to see if I like human food like you like Pokémon food,"_ Pikachu told him. _"It's been on my mind since we battled Erika, that's all."_

Ash broke off a bit of his burger and passed it over. "Here you go."

The Electric-type nibbled on the burger, and frowned. _"Well, I can see what they were going for, but it's not great..."_

Ash added some of the salad, which Pikachu was fine with – it wasn't much different from some kinds of Pokémon food anyway – and then a chip.

When Pikachu ate that last bit, his eyes lit up.

 _"This tastes amazing! What's this red stuff?"_

"Uh... Ketchup?" Ash indicated the bottle. "I guess it's mostly made of fruit or vegetable or something – hey!"

Pikachu swallowed his mouthful of ketchup, and looked over. _"Eh?"_

"That's not how you eat it!"

 _"Don't see why..."_

* * *

71: (Unova)

* * *

N dove for cover, and there was a blue flicker as Ash dove off his shoulder and went straight to his customary human form.

"What's going on?" he called, as Kyurem unleashed a Glaciate on both of the other two Legendaries at once. "Why's your Dad got Kyurem?"

"I don't know," N replied, sounding deeply troubled. "Kyurem... he-"

 _"Reshiram, hold still!"_ Zekrom bellowed, and then a massive bolt of blue lightning crashed down around the ice-encrusted Legendary.

 _"I was going to blast myself out!"_ Reshiram called back, as the ice shattered into millions of tiny pieces. He spun, turbine keening, and launched an almighty cloud of flame at Kyurem.

"Bouffalant!" Ghetsis ordered. "Get them!"

"That's headed for us!" Ash said, glancing over the barrier. "And those Plasma grunts are looking-"

"Please, everyone!" N implored, heedless of the approaching Bouffalant. "My father has betrayed our true purpose! We have to stop him!"

As if in punctuation, Zekrom shot past overhead with Kyurem in hot pursuit. Huge blasts pocked the air around them both, as Reshiram tried to catch his Icy counterpart with a Dragon Pulse.

"True purpose," someone in a robe said, shaking his head. "True purpose! The only true purpose of Team Plasma is that we rule!"

Ash pulled N out of the way of a Head Smash.

"You're wrong, Zinzolin," another robed figure said. "N is our King, we should-"

"Shut up, Rood!" Zinzolin snapped.

Pokémon began to appear, and Team Plasma dissolved into a brawl.

* * *

"Why isn't he listening?" N asked, picking himself up, as Ghetsis' Bouffalant skidded to a halt and came around for another attack. "I don't understand it, Bouffalant is quite pleasant normally..."

"It's gotta be some kind of mind control!" Ash decided. "That must be how he's controlling Kyurem too!"

Overhead, a Bolt Strike slammed into Kyurem, who retaliated with a focussed Blizzard that knocked Zekrom bodily across the sky.

N nodded reluctantly. "You are correct."

He looked a little apprehensively at the oncoming Normal-type. "You can use moves, right?"

Ash's reply was to begin building two attacks, one in each hand. One was the swirling orb of brilliant blue that was an Aura Sphere, the other a shadowy black that could be used for a Night Daze.

As they grew, his stance shifted a little. One foot forwards, the other turned a little to the side - just like Lucario had taught him.

He was about to throw the first one when help arrived - in the form of a horizontal spray of meteors which blasted Bouffalant halfway across the clearing.

"Garchomp!" Ash grinned, recognizing his handiwork, and a moment later the Dragon-type came charging across the clearing and engaged an Eelektross in close-quarters battle.

Latias arrived a moment later, sending out every Pokémon she could get her hands on, and Pikachu jumped gratefully from her back to Ash's shoulder.

 _"How are things going?"_ she asked.

"Not good," N summarized. "We need to stop Ghetsis, but it looks like Colress and the Shadow Triad are protecting him."

"Where's Iris?" Ash asked. "And Cilan?"

 _"On their way!"  
_  
Charizard landed with a wingrush and a roar, slowing long enough to let a green-looking Cilan get off before kicking off to join in the massive fight overhead. His wingmate, Dragonite, didn't even bother to land - skimming low and slow enough for Iris to jump off and absorb the rest of the impact.

"Fraxure, go for the Shadow Triad!" she ordered, sending him out. "X-Scissor!"

"Good idea!" Ash called over, as Iris' pure Dragon led Excadrill and Emolga on the attack. "Deerling, Unfezant, you help too!"

"I didn't want there to be any fighting," N said, with a sigh.

"I know you didn't," Ash agreed. "Neither did I."

* * *

"What are you waiting for, Kyurem!" Ghetsis called into the sky. "Absofusion!"

Kyurem slapped Dragonite aside with his wing as he turned, adding a Blizzard which missed the speedy Dragon-type as he pulled out of his dive, and powered past an outraged Charizard without trying to fight him.

Both of the other two Tao dragons answered the challenge, turning over in a pair of dives and readying their most powerful moves - Bolt Strike and Blue Flare.

"Sir," Colress said, looking worried. "Remember how much power it took to get the Colress Machine to work on Kyurem. It's not going to show very good judgement, there's not enough independent thought left for that."

"Surely it can do what it is meant to do?" Ghetsis asked, sparing an irritated glance for where that _brat_ and his friends were battling with the Shadow Triad.

"That's it! It's going to try to Absofuse with whichever is closest, but I'm not sure-"

The three Tao Dragons collided.

Kyurem used Absofusion. Unable to decide between Reshiram or Zekrom, he opted for both.

* * *

"Whoa!" Ash shouted, looking up like everyone else at the enormous flash of light.

It banished the shadows under the trees, washing out everything into the same shade of brilliant light.

"That's... the Dragon of Unova," Iris whispered, as the great beast of white, black and grey hovered there. "The original one!"

It turned, beginning to head towards the ground-

-and promptly exploded.

Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem hit the ground on three different sides of the clearing, all out for the count.

* * *

"...right," Ghetsis sighed. "Of course, we're going to have to do things the hard way."

He turned to Colress. "Get as many Pokémon as you can! The most powerful ones first - use the capacity Kyurem had been taking."

Colress nodded, sending out his Magnezone and Metagross, and Ghetsis sent out his own Hydreigon as a last line of defence.

* * *

"Pikachu!" Ash called, as his friend clutched his head. "What's-"

The same stabbing pain rushed over him as well. His illusion collapsed, revealing him as his real self, and N grabbed his shoulder to stop him falling over.

Beside him, Latias sank to the floor. _"Ash..."_ she muttered. _"It hurts..."  
_  
Everything seemed far away. Ash faintly heard his friends talking - something about Charizard having crashed, and Dragonite in pain.

It was hard to focus... even though Ash knew he should be.

* * *

"Okay, it's all up to you," Iris said. "Ready?"

Archen bobbed her head uncertainly. _"I think so.."  
_  
Iris got the gist. "You can do it," she told Archen, and gave her arm a sharp lift to boost the Rock-type into the air.

* * *

"Why are they still resisting?" Ghetsis demanded. "You said this would work!"

"It did in every test I ran," Colress protested. "It worked on Kyurem, didn't... it?"

Both he and Ghetsis watched in disbelief.

Iris' Archen, theoretically, knew Acrobatics. In reality, she still wasn't good at flying and more-or-less stumbled her way through the air.

But that, somehow, worked. Hydreigon's blast of Dragonfire missed as Archen stopped in mid-air, then dove down and weaved around a follow-up Flamethrower. The two outer heads snapped at her, missed, got confused, and then Archen flew a barely-controlled loop around the middle head before heading for the ground just as both outer heads snapped at her.

The practical upshot of this blundering, stumbling mess of a move was that Ghetsis' enormously powerful Hydreigon knocked itself out by bashing all three heads together.

"...what just..." Ghetsis muttered, lost for words, then blinked. "Wait!"

Unfortunately for both himself and Colress, he had realized it too late. _Archeops_ crashed into his staff, snapped the head off, and the Colress Machine Amplifier concealed in it promptly gave up the Ghost-type.

As Archeops pulled up and away, her extra wings making the task of staying in the air much easier, all the Pokémon that Colress and Ghetsis had been controlling regained their senses.

This happened to include a Garchomp, a Dragonite, a Charizard, a Latias, and an exceedingly annoyed Zoroark.

"...now, son," Ghetsis began, and then Ash reacted.

In some things, Ash Ketchum took after his mother.

* * *

"...sorry about that," Ash said for the third time, as Looker and half-a-dozen Jennys lifted the pained Ghetsis into a police van. "I kind of reacted on instinct."

"That was Zoroark instinct?" Cilan asked, still wincing. "Remind me never to make a Zoroark angry..."

"Yeah," Iris agreed. "Looks like N's not getting any siblings any time soon..."

* * *

72: (Battle Frontier)

* * *

"Wonder what she's got today," Drew said, leaning forwards a little in his seat. "May's always fun."

He wasn't competing, but he tried to make time to see the challenges of his... rival.

May, as it turned out, was third up. The first to appeal was Harley, then someone he'd never met before, and then it was May's turn.

"That's odd..." he mused. "Where's her Pokéballs?"

* * *

"I've already sent out my Pokémon!" May announced. "Shimmer, let's see you!"

There was a moment of hushed silence, and then Latias revealed herself - flickering blue light outlining her as she shifted her feathers back to visible, earning an _ooh_ of surprise and admiration from the cloud as she did a cheeky little roll to show off.

After a bit of debate, they'd decided to rely on nicknames for both Ash and Latias - it reduced the chance that something would go wrong, though it didn't quite eliminate it.

May was silent for a few seconds as Latias came around in a complete turn - until she was coming back up to the place she'd decloaked.

"Shadow!"

There was a blue flash, and to everyone in the crowd it was as though a Vulpix had appeared from thin air - and heading towards Latias, running the other way around the curve of the stadium.

"Now, Quick Attack and Dragonbreath!" May reminded them. "One!"

Latias blew a small gust of Dragonbreath, shaping it with her psychic powers so it billowed out and formed a ring of green fire, and put a shimmering shield in the middle of it.

Ash jumped at the ring, getting over the lower edge of the ring and passing through the psionic shield without being affected at all - and, just as he did, flickered blue and changed.

Now there was a Lillipup running along, as Latias went whistling around at a far higher speed than Ash was going.

"Two!" May called, as they approached the crossover point again.

Again the green ring bloomed out, and this time it was a little brighter - a little hotter.

Ash crashed through the centre, this time becoming a Poochyena, and the muttering in the audience got louder.

Growlithe. Houndour. Electrike. Furfrou.

On the final pass, Latias blew a much bigger ring of Dragonbreath than normal - then pulled up and over it, performed a reverse wingover, and followed Ash-as-Eevee through it before coming up underneath him and lifting him into the sky.

One final flicker of blue light, and Ash was as he really was.

"Now, Night Daze and Mist Ball!" May said, and 'Shadow' and 'Shimmer' didn't disappoint.

The two attacks exploded close to one another, intermingling in the sky, and Latias carried them both through the fringes just as the interaction area began to dip - blowing them away with the wind-shock effect of her flight.

May let out a silent breath of relief as the stadium erupted in applause. _Good._

That had been _much_ more stressful than normal, even though she'd had less to do.

* * *

73: (Unova)

* * *

"At last, a Pokémon Centre!" Cilan said. "Iris, we can get Emolga looked at here!"

Iris nodded, cradling the Flying-type. "Good - but... it looks kind of old."

 _"Yeah,"_ Fraxure added.

"And there's all kinds of wild Pokémon here..."

"Audino?" the Audino at the desk asked.

Ash frowned. "You need to work on your disguise a bit, that's not quite right..."

The others looked at him. "What?"

"Well, she's a Zorua or Zoroark, right?" Ash asked. "That was a pretty bad Audino accent, actually..."

The Audino trembled, making ready to fight or run.

"You mean she's like you?" Laura asked. "Neat, we don't meet other Zorua or Zoroark often."

"We do!" Ash replied. "Eight times since meeting Meloetta at least."

"You've never mentioned it..." Cilan said weakly.

"Well, yeah, that's the point of a Zorua or Zoroark, we try not to be noticed," Ash said. "Hers was just kind of not a great disguise, so I felt I should mention it."

The other Zoroark in question had decloaked in shock. _"You're... okay, right."_

She coughed. "Aherm... what's the problem?"

"My Emolga's sick," Iris said, handing her over. "She won't wake up."

"You tried Chesto berries?" the Zoroark asked.

"First thing," Cilan contributed.

"Right... okay, I'll see what I can do. It might need both Chesto and Cheri Berries, if she got paralyzed as well..."

* * *

AN:

* * *

The results of the weekend's writing.

Going down the list...

First off, Pikachu and Ketchup. He's got to run into it sometime!

Then we have the main battle section of that Ash-and-N infiltrating Plasma plot thread. Including a bit of a snapshot of the teams at that point, such as Fraxure instead of Axew, and that Iris got that Archen. Seems to fit given her B2/W2 team.

The original dragon - I've got no idea what it would look like but presumably there was one at some point. And yes, Ash basically did to Ghetsis what his mother did to Entei... (ouch!)

As for the other two, there's that contest Ash and Latias were entering for May, and a look at that one episode with the disguised Zoroark.


	18. Chapter 18

74: (Pre series)

* * *

Ash had a problem.

He wanted to go outside. It was a nice day.

But the door was shut.

He tried to reach for it, but was still a bit clumsy on two legs in his new human form and promptly fell over.

As he sat there, Ash had a Think.

The conclusion he reached, after much pondering, was that maybe he could reach the door handle if he was in a shape he was more used to.

Deciding it would be okay, Ash dropped his illusion.

Unfortunately for him, he was now way too small to reach the door. His paws couldn't even reach the knob when he jumped, making little scrabbling sounds on the wood.

Sitting down on his haunches, Ash had another Think.

This one made him wonder if the best choice would be to turn into a bigger Pokémon. One with four legs, like him, but a bit bigger.

The first one that came to mind was a Vulpix, but he didn't think that was big enough.

Another Fire-type, though, _did_ seem to be about right. So he concentrated, and shifted into a Flareon.

The extra size was just right, and he could reach the door knob by jumping for it.

That only produced another problem, though. He _was_ able to reach the door knob, but he wasn't able to turn it - his paws just slid off the polished wooden knob without making it move.

Defeated, Ash sat down for another Think.

The verdict from this one went unreached, though, as his mother arrived back.

Ash abandoned his feud with the Door, deciding that would be for another day.

* * *

75 (Johto)

* * *

Brock, Misty and Tierra hurried out of the underground complex after Crobat, racing to get ahead of the mass of suborned Pokémon.

"A ha ha ha ha!" Jessie laughed, enjoying making them run. Especially when it was the Twerp himself in his _real_ form leading the way. "Excellent!"

Striding out onto the surface herself, she pointed. "Ash! Pikachu! Get them!"

"Ash, stop!" Brock pleaded.

The two indicated Pokémon advanced a step... and stopped.

Pikachu's ears came up, and he shook his head as if coming out of deep water. Ash's eyes focused, and he blinked. "Guys? What happened?"

"Get them!" Jessie repeated.

Pikachu turned around, cheeks sparking. _"I'm not going to-"  
_  
He stepped forwards, and his ears promptly went down again.

"Ash!" Misty said, noticing the line of stones in the sand. "Stay right there and turn into a Metapod!"

"Uh... okay?" Ash said, confused, and did so.

Misty darted forwards as Pikachu crossed back and forth over the line - going from controlled to not depending on if he was on the tomb side of the stones - and picked up Ash's not-too-heavy form.

"When I say now," she said, trying not to focus on how he was a Bug-type, "turn into a Pupitar, okay?"

Ash made a noise which she assumed was yes, and she took several steps back.

Then she threw him.

"Now!" she snapped, the moment after she'd made her throw.

Ash turned from a Metapod to a Pupitar, and three hundred and thirty pounds of ersatz Rock-type hit the control staff before Jessie could react.

It snapped in half, there was a horrible screech, and then all the controlled Pokémon abruptly woke up.

"Eh heh heh..." James said, noticing. "No hard feelings?"

There were, in fact, hard feelings.

* * *

76: (End Unova)

* * *

"Well... I guess this is goodbye, Iris, Cilan," Latias said. "It's been pretty fun!"

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "We'll miss you both."

"That's lovely to know," Cilan said with a smile. "I've picked up a lot of tips from all of you - and, of course, great new recipes!"

"I hope you didn't learn too many of them from Ash," Iris quipped.

"Hey!" Ash laughed.

Latias giggled.

"So, you're off to Kalos?" Cilan asked. "I've always wanted to go there... it's so elegant! But my brothers are expecting me back at the gym... maybe next year..."

"I'll let you know how we're doing," Ash told him. "I'll try to send details on anything that seems tasty, too!"

"Thanks, Ash!" Cilan said. "And I'll cook for you during your next League challenge - you better win this time though!"

"With that encouragement, who could lose?" Latias asked.

"What about you, Iris?" Ash went on. "What's your plan?"

Iris glanced over at Fraxure, who nodded firmly, and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to take the Gym Challenge myself," she said.

"Cool!" Ash smiled. "It's great fun!"

"I know, I've seen you do it," Iris agreed. "I'm going to try to catch a couple more Dragon-types - I really want a Garchomp someday, and it'd be neat to have a Hydreigon too - and... hey, maybe next time you come back to Unova I'll be the Champion to beat!"

"That's the spirit!" Cilan told her with a grin. "But I'm not sure whether my brothers or I would be better at beating you... hm, that's a tough one..."

 _"I'm going to be a Haxorus!"_ Fraxure announced. _"And blow things up with meteors!"  
_  
"You're already most of the way there," Ash smiled. "Good luck, both of you!"

One by one, Ash and Latias said goodbye to their friends' Pokémon. Emolga, Archeops, Dragonite, Excadrill, Stunfisk, Crustle...

Eventually, though, there were no more goodbyes to be said.

"Well... don't be a stranger," Cilan told them.

Latias hugged him and Iris. "Thanks for being so understanding with our secret," she said softly.

"No problem!" Iris assured her. "You two are pretty awesome at pretending to be humans, you know."

 _"Ash certainly fooled me for about nine months..."_ Pikachu agreed.

* * *

"I hope we meet friends as good as them in Kalos," Latias said, later that evening.

"So do I," Ash agreed.

There were a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"How sure are you that Zekrom's not going to follow you?" Latias asked, eventually.

"...I really hope he's not going to," Ash said slowly. "That would be kind of awkward."

* * *

77: (Post Sinnoh League)

* * *

"So, how are we going to do this?" Latias asked, resting on the grass of a small hillock.

The party was long over, and several of Ash's friends had flown back to their home regions. Cynthia was putting several of the others up in her house for the night, and everyone would be off in the morning - leaving Lily of the Valley island behind them.

"Well..." Ash frowned. "Like I said, you can come with us to Coronet City if you want. And you could come to Unova, too... I'd really like that, actually."

"I would too," Latias said. "But... would that mean I just went around with you? As... well, as a Pokémon, or a human?"

"You could just stay disguised as a human, I think," Ash said with a shrug. "You could even catch some Pokémon!"

"I could?" Latias asked, considering the idea for the first time. "I guess... but I don't really know how to."

"I do," Ash pointed out. "I could show you."

Latias smiled. "That sounds nice."

They lay there for a long minute, watching the sky darken and the stars coming out.

"Ash," Latias began. "Why are you called _Ash?_ Instead of, well, Zorua or Zoroark? I know you don't nickname your Pokémon..."

"It's because that's what Mom called me," Ash said. "But I think the _why_ is that... well, humans all have names, and it'd be obvious I was a Pokémon if I was just called Zorua."

Latias absorbed that. "So should I have a name? Or... a pretend name?"

"If you're going to be pretending to be human for a long time, I think so," Ash agreed.

"What would be a good one?"

Ash took a long time to think about that. His fingers absently intwined with Latias' claws, and he watched a thin wisp of cloud drift across the darkening sky.

"Well, it should be one that's similar to the name you're used to," he said. "Meaning it's a lot like Latias. That way you're more likely to realize it's you before you're used to it."

She nodded.

"Laura," he said. "How does that sound?"

 _"I like it!"_ Latias said almost immediately.

There was another long, comfortable pause. Latias shuffled a little closer, then pointed with her free hand. "Look!"

Dozens of bright lights shimmered high overhead, and Ash squinted upwards.

"It looks like those are Volbeat and Illuminise," he said. "What do you think?"

"You're the expert," Latias chuckled.

This time it was Ash's turn to shift a bit closer.

"I kind of wish we'd worked this out years ago," he said, with a sigh. "I guess we kinda missed a lot of time we could have spent together."

Latias nodded. "But we can do it now," she replied.

"Hey," Ash said, as an idea occurred to him. "I know you should probably let your brother know you're going to be gone for a long time - if you _are_ coming with me to Unova, I mean - but maybe we should have a date first? A proper one, I mean, where we actually know that's what it is."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Latias agreed, with a giggle. "Yeah, now I think about it we kind of did have things a lot like dates..."

* * *

They kept talking for another half an hour, until the sky was nearly black and the stars blazed in the cool, clear air.

Eventually, though, the air got cold enough that they started to notice, as a chill wind swept down from the nearby mountain peaks.

"I guess we should go in," Ash said, reluctantly. He pulled one leg in, then came to his feet, and Latias hovered up off the grass to join him.

"Don't forget your hat," she giggled, picking it up off the floor.

"Thanks," Ash smiled, putting it firmly on his head. "Wonder if I should get a new one for Unova..."

Latias looked thoughtful.

"See you tomorrow," he added.

"See you then," Latias agreed, and the two exchanged a quick kiss.

* * *

 _"And what time do you call this?"_ Pikachu yawned, as Ash opened the door to the room he was staying the night in.

Ash shrugged.

* * *

78: (Kalos)

* * *

 _"This is the final step in our plan,"_ the first Malamar said, indicating the device. _"It will transform the whole world into a realm ideal for Malamar."_

"I've heard enough!" Ash announced, taking his cap off and tossing it to his girlfriend. "I'm going to stop you!"

 _"Ah, the resistant one,"_ the second Malamar observed noncommittally. _"This is why reinforcements were brought. Your resistance will not work against both of us."_

Their eyes flashed, thunder rumbling overhead as a sinister accompaniment.

Ash frowned. "I don't think you're trying hard enough."

Bonnie tried to hold in a giggle, noticing the pendant chain dangling out of Ash's cap.

 _"What is this?"_ one Malamar asked, then turned to Serena and scanned her surface thoughts. _"Ah. No mere Zoroark can-"_

Whatever it was no mere Zoroark could do was lost to posterity, as at that moment the thundercloud burst and several hundred kilos of Deep Black Pokémon erupted onto the scene with an almighty Bolt Strike.

The machine created by the controlled scientists exploded into a thousand pieces, and one of the Malamar was knocked flying. The other, the actual _target_ of the supercharged electrical body-slam, was too unconscious to have an opinion.

 _"Hero of Ideals!"_ Zekrom roared to the sky, turbine keening. _"Your enemies are driven from the battle!"_

 _"A Legendary?"_ the conscious Malamar began, and then got backhanded by Zekrom and bounced off down the slope.

 _"..._ now _they're driven from the battle,"_ Zekrom coughed.

"Wait," Ash said, after a quick check to make sure the concussion hadn't broken his Illusion. "Have you followed me here all the way from Unova?"

"That was months ago!" Laura agreed. "Seriously?"

Zekrom blinked. _"Well, when you put it like that..."_

He absently stepped on the recumbent Malamar as he shifted his feet.

"Is _that_ why there's always been a thunderstorm somewhere on the horizon ever since we met?" Clemont asked. "I did wonder - wait, I ditched two weather prediction Gears because they weren't showing that!"

 _"Um... that is..."_ Zekrom's turbine let out a whine, and he launched himself skywards.

"...Ash?" Serena said, as Zekrom vanished into the cloud layer. "Did that _legendary Pokémon_ just call you the _hero of Ideals?_ Why is it following you around? I mean, I understand why-" she glanced at the others present, including an Officer Jenny, and refrained from revealing Laura's secret. "But..."

"Honestly, if you're travelling with Ash you get used to it," Laura confided.

* * *

79: (Kalos)

* * *

"This is a terrible plan," Clemont said. "Absolutely terrible."

Ash shrugged. "Do you have a better one?"

"Literally walking into a trap is not a good plan!"

With a flicker, the Zoroark compacted himself into the form of a Spewpa. "I'll be fine."

"Be careful, Ash," Latias said softly, as she put his pendant away for safekeeping. "Not that that's possible..."

Serena hid a giggle.

Ash grinned, then stepped into the snare they'd set to act as a 'reason' why the escaped Pokémon had been caught.

Snap WOOSH yipe

"...okay, maybe we need a plan B," Ash muttered, looking at the snare wrapped around his foot. "I guess the trap kinda burst my illusion, huh..."

Bonnie giggled.

* * *

"Here we are!" Dolan said, picking up the cage. "So this is where I left you!"

"Spewpa?" the Pokémon inside said.

"...not sure how you evolved, but whatever," the thug muttered. "Now, you're going to make me a lot of-"

There was a bluish flicker as an illusion collapsed, and then Dolan was stampeded by Garchomp, Serperior, Dewott, Lucario, Froakie, Pikachu and Chespin.

"That worked great!" Bonnie said, grinning. "Thanks for hiding us, Ash!"

Latias opened the cage, and Ash jumped out before reverting to his usual human form. "I was getting a bit tired of keeping the illusion up, though..." he admitted, pulling the tracker off his clothes and ditching it. "I guess we take him to the police?"

"He might need a Joy first," Clemont winced. "Did you have to step on him, Garchomp?"

 _"Yes!"_ Garchomp said. _"He was very steppable."_

* * *

80: (Early Kalos)

* * *

"So that was a _Mega_ evolution?" Ash asked.

"That's right!" Professor Sycamore agreed. He frowned. "Admittedly, it's not supposed to involve the Pokémon going off on a rampage..."

"Does it take a special ability?" Latias questioned.

"No, no, just these."

He held up the Key Stone he'd used, and his Garchomp's Mega Stone. "This works for any trainer, it's not specifically for me... and _this_ is the stone that Garchomp use to Mega Evolve. All it needs is a strong bond, and it works fine!"

"That's really cool!" Ash said. "Can I try?"

"Well..." Sycamore frowned. "I've only got a Garchompite..."

"I've got Garchomp with me!" Ash told him.

"You do? Well... I suppose it couldn't hurt," Sycamore decided.

Ash sent out Garchomp. "Hi!"

 _"Hi, Ash!"_ Garchomp said, looking around - at first with enthusiasm, then with more care as his scythes nearly hit a bookshelf. _"Whoops... sorry, I'll be careful."  
_  
"Thanks," Ash smiled. "Okay, how do we do this?"

"First, Garchomp takes the Garchompite," Sycamore supplied, and passed it over.

 _"It's all tingly,"_ Garchomp reported.

Laura passed that on to Sycamore, who was momentarily surprised she could understand Pokémon but shrugged it off in favour of analysing the information. "Interesting... maybe that's one way to tell what Mega Stone goes with what Pokémon."

"What now?" Ash asked, as Garchomp held the marble-like stone with care.

"Now, you take this Key Stone, and concentrate on your bond," Sycamore resumed, passing his over.

Ash took it, and closed his eyes.

Concentrated.

His loveable little Gible, back when they'd met, and his habit of blowing up.. well, mainly Piplup. And then mastering that move, so it worked as it should.

His evolution to Gabite, and then Garchomp, both at the most ideal moments they could be, and his first shining League win.

And all the times Garchomp had helped out in Unova. Happily keeping Ash safe, teaching Axew...

Garchomp was a good friend.

Ash heard a gasp from Laura, and when he opened his eyes the Pokémon standing there was...

...different.

As he took in the changes, Garchomp - _Mega_ Garchomp - took a deep breath.

 _"I feel kind of light,"_ he reported. _"Like... well, I guess I weigh about the same, but like it's easier to carry."  
_  
"There you go," Sycamore said, relieved that his lab wasn't being blown up. "All it takes is the right stones, a human, a Pokémon, and a strong bond between the two."

He blinked as all four of them - including Pikachu and Garchomp - started laughing.

"What?" he asked, blinking.

"Never mind," Ash shrugged. "It'd take a while to explain."

* * *

AN:

* * *

Lots of them today! I had a bit of a backlog.

Fair bit of screen time for dragons, here, in general.

First there's something with a very young Ash being cute. Actually inspired by someone's forum avatar.

After that is that episode with the mind-control effect thingy that affected Pokémon. Ash isn't immune.

Following that we have some goodbyes, some beginnings, and one of the consequences of Zekrom choosing one as their Hero. (He's a bit confused Ash isn't doing the smite-all-before-you routine.)

And, finally, two early Kalos bits. One of these is the episode with the Vivillion poacher, rather streamlined by how Ash can just cover everyone in an illusion and they can hide within feet of the bait... and the other's a look at Mega Evolution.

Ash is a trainer, not a human. Though it raises the question of what would happen if they got hold of a Latiasite.


	19. Chapter 19

81: (Kalos)

* * *

"You okay, Goodra?" Ash asked, worried.

 _"I'm okay,"_ the Dragon-type replied, face set. _"I need to make sure my friends will be safe here."  
_  
He took his stance, feet easily staying stable on the rain-soaked marsh, and readied himself to fight.

 _"Run away, dragon,"_ the Florges said dismissively, waving her flowered arm.

Goodra inhaled, a crackling ball of ice forming in his mouth, and fired. The attack met a Moonblast coming the other way and exploded, and shimmering ice floated down in a tiny diamonddust between them - barely touched by the gathering rain.

Florges laughed. _"That's it? It looks like I'm staying..."  
_  
Goodra scowled.  
 _  
"You can't beat me,"_ she elaborated, preparing another Moonblast. " _And I won this land in battle, so you're trespassing."  
_  
"That's not right!" Laura said, shaking her head. "You can't just take somewhere over like that. It's wrong."

 _"Wrong according to who?"_ Florges asked. _"I need it, and I'm the one who can keep it."  
_  
Laura and Ash exchanged a quick glance, and then Laura sighed. _"Fine,"_ she said. _"What about if a Legendary told you to stop?"_

"You're not human,"

the Florges blinked. _"Interesting... well, what are you?"  
_  
In reply, Latias dropped her illusion with a flash of blue light.

"...how 'bout that," Keanan said, adjusting his hat.

 _"A Latias?"_ Florges asked, sounding a bit _less_ worried now she knew what she was facing. _"Just another dragon. I don't care about dragons, even Legendary-"  
_  
The thundercloud overhead split open with a peal of thunder, and Florges had just enough time to be startled before Zekrom flattened her into the marsh with a Bolt Strike.

 _"You have no ideals!"_ Zekrom told her, not that she was in a condition to listen.

"Zekrom?" Ash frowned.

 _"Hero of Ideals, hail!"_ Zekrom added, turning to face him and stepping on the Florges' flowery hair.

 _"Actually it's rain,"_ Pikachu quipped.

"How many times is this going to happen?" Clemont asked plaintively.

Ash shrugged.

 _"This has not gone as planned..."_ Florges muttered.

* * *

82: (Sinnoh)

* * *

"I guess this is the only way back," Paige said, looking with a wince at the rotten log.

Ash winced as well - that would not be a safe way across the chasm.

For the third time at least, he considered revealing his secret - he still remembered Pidgeot's lessons, and could carry them back home fairly quickly.

But... it was still a scary idea. He'd rather not if he could possibly help it.

"Should I go first?" he asked, and Paige nodded.

 _"I'll go first,"_ Pikachu said instead, hopping up onto the log and running along. _"Don't forget - only one of us on at a time."_

"Right," Ash agreed, transferring his pendant to his hand from his neck, and set off once Pikachu was across.

The wind was still strong from the earlier storm, and Ash wobbled slightly as it snatched at his hat - which he was careful to grab, to make sure it didn't get whirled away into the wind.

There was a long creeeeak, then a particularly strong gust made Ash's arms windmill as he tried to stay on - then, after a few scary seconds, it subsided.

"Phew!" Paige said, as Ash finally reached the far side. "Okay, my turn!"

Ash turned to watch - then, with a surprisingly small _snap_ , the log finally gave up.

"Paige!" Ash called, dropping his pendant and going straight to a Pidgeot. He could catch her if-

And a blur of blue shot past.

"What?" Ash blinked, slowing and remembering to hover before he crashed into the wall.

A good hundred yards away, Suicune - both Paige and Marnie on her back - skidded to a halt, and gave him a confused look.

"Suicune?" Ash went on. "What are you-"

 _"Ash?"_ the Beast of the North Wind asked. _"Is that you? You've gotten better at the shapeshifting thing, I see!"  
_  
"Why's that Pidgeot talking?" Marnie asked. "Wait - that voice... _Ash?_ "

 _"...ah,"_ Suicune said, glancing at her passengers. _"This could be interesting..."_

* * *

83: (During Kalos)

* * *

"I'm here to pick up my mail for the past week," N said, sliding his trainer card over the counter.

"Right," the man running the counter said. "Box number?"

"162," N replied.

"And your name?"

"Natural Harmonia Gropius."

"Natural... how do you spell Gropius?"

"Like Tropius, but with a G," N explained.

"Right, here you go." A large cardboard box came back over the counter, along with his trainer card. "Will that be all?"

"For now, yes," N said.

* * *

Sorting through the pile, N put the official stuff - the Team Plasma paperwork - aside for now.

Reforming his and Rood's branch of the organization was being quite the slog, but N was convinced it would be worth it.

For now, though, it was just the personal things. Several letters addressed to him thanking him for his work, the obligiatory hate mail - something N read carefully, purely for the insight - and then the really pleasant bit.

"Let's see how my favorite Zoroark is doing," he said with a smile.

 _"I'm hurt,"_ the bipedal Dark-type next to him said. _"Aren't I your favorite Zoroark?"_

"Not until that's your base form and not just an illusion," N replied with a small smile.

Sighing, Zorua dispelled his disguise. _"So, what's been going on?"_

N scanned the letter. "It looks like he had a run in with legendaries - _again."_

 _"Which ones this time?"_

"Xerneas, Yveltal and Diancie," N summarized. "Oh, and he's still being followed by Zekrom, too."

There was a rattling sound.

"What was that?" N asked.

 _"It came from this,"_ Zorua reported, loping over and tapping a parcel with his paw.

Curious, N set the letter aside for now and undid the parcel wrapping with careful fingers.

Inside was... a Pokéball.

As he took it out, it opened in an eruption of flame.

 _"Hero of Truth!"_ Reshiram announced. _"Hail, for we meet again!"_

"That paperwork was important!" N complained, then - as Reshiram started to realize he'd just incinerated quite a lot of important documents - took a step back. "Wait. You... did you post _yourself_ to me in a Pokéball?"

Reshiram nodded, forearms together and feet shuffling.

 _"How?"_ Zorua asked, head tilted.

 _"...I got Iris to help,"_ Reshiram admitted. _"I got the idea from what Zekrom's been doing."_

"You seriously..." N shook his head, deciding not to question it. "Maybe you just didn't know I don't like keeping Pokémon in Pokéballs... anyway. If you insist, then I _do_ have a job for you."

 _"Aha!"_ Reshiram said, sounding much more eager. _"A quest!"_

"We're going to need to go to the people who sent us that paperwork and ask for more copies," N explained. "That means I need transport."

 _"...this is less glamorous than I imagined."_

* * *

84: (Early Unova)

* * *

"We're trapped in a dream?" Ash repeated, blinking. "How?"

"It must have been that Beheeyem," Iris suggested. "What do we do?"

"We need to find the Beheeyem," Jenny said. "My Duosion should help with that - it's using its' psychic powers to keep us in the dream."

"So... do we just need to disrupt that?" Ash asked.

"Ash," Laura said, slowly. "What are you thinking of?"

A black swirl appeared in Ash's hands, and pulsed outwards.

The whole world they were in shook, making Iris and Cilan stagger and the Jenny frown in confusion.

"What was that?" she asked. "Did you just-"

"Looks like that wasn't enough," Ash frowned.

Another ball of dark energy, which went further this time.

Jenny glanced at her wincing Duosion. "What's going on... wait, was that _Dark Pulse?"  
_  
"Ash, stop!" Latias asked, clawed hand on her head. "That got all of us!"

Ash hissed. "Sorry, I didn't realize..."

"Weren't you a girl three seconds ago?" Jenny blinked, as Ash hurried over and put a soothing hand on Latias' forehead. "Why are you a Legendary..."

"How do we get out of here, Officer?" Iris asked.

"Oh, right," the policewoman nodded, deciding to focus on the important bit first. "My Duosion can find the Beheeyem that's doing this, and break the connection."

Duosion bobbed up and down, focusing, and its hands glowed for a moment.

 _Aha!_ it broadcast. _Okay, now... it's quite hard to-  
_  
"I can feel the connection," Latias said. "I'll help!"

Her eyes glowed, and a fraction of a second later they were all waking up on the grass.

"It worked!" Cilan said enthusiastically. "Great!"

* * *

Some distance away, Leon looked at his Beheeyem. "You what?"

 _You heard me,_ Beheeyem replied, putting an ice pack on his head. _I'm not going to get in a psychic fight with a Legendary. The dark-type was painful enough, but that Latias..._

* * *

85: (Just before Unova)

* * *

"So, you're definitely going to Unova?" Delia asked, with a smile.

"That's right!" Ash confirmed. "Lat - uh, _Laura,_ likes the idea too!"

'Laura' reached over and took Ash's hand. She gave it a squeeze, and Ash squeezed back - feeling the claws underneath the illusion.

"Ah, that's so sweet!" Delia grinned.

There was a flash.

"Good work!" she added to Mimey, as the Psychic-type lowered a camera.

"Mom..." Ash sighed.

 _"It looks pretty good, actually,"_ Mimey volunteered, holding up the back of the camera so they could all see.

"Can I have a copy?" Laura asked.

Ash sighed again.

Pikachu inspected his face. _"Are you trying not to smile?"  
_  
"No!" Ash said, face twitching.

"I'm impressed your illusion is as good as ever despite evolving - that could have thrown you off," Delia informed him. "Well, have fun, both of you."

* * *

"Oh," Laura added, as they got ready to leave. "Ash?"

"What is it?" Ash asked, looking up from packing his bag.

"Um..." the disguised Pokémon began, then nodded slightly. "Here."

Ash blinked at the Pokéball. "Uh - thanks, I guess... what's in it?"

"It's mine," she informed him. "I had Bianca get me one..."

Ash stared. "Latias... wow, that's..."

"Was that wrong?" she asked, worried. "I remembered what you said to Lucario about how they help keep a Pokémon safe... and the safest I can imagine is with you."

"No, it's just... really amazing," Ash said, trying to come up with a way to put it. "I'm so glad you trust me that much!"

He reached out to accept the Pokéball, then frowned and drew his hand back.

"Wait here!" he asked, and hurried downstairs.

Latias waited, wondering what was going on.

 _"I don't know either,"_ Pikachu shrugged.

* * *

After several minutes and the sound of something heavy moving, Ash came running back up the stairs.

"Here we are," he said, showing the red-white 'ball in his own hand.

"What's that?" Laura asked.

"It's _my_ Pokéball," Ash told her. "If you trust me that much, the least I can do is return the favour, right?"

"Ash..." Laura said, touched. "That's so nice!"

They exchanged a warm smile.

* * *

AN:

* * *

Mostly quite late in the series, this lot. Featuring many legendaries, mostly but not all dragons.

Both the Tao dragons are quite eager.

Yes, Ash knows Suicune. Fourth movie, for a start.

Do not attempt to dreamwalk Dark type and Legendary Psychic.

And, finally, that scene I've mentioned before. No, what Ash says doesn't make much sense if you think about it... but neither he nor Latios are actually thinking about it much!


	20. Chapter 20

86: (Unova)

* * *

"It's great to see you!" Ash smiled. "Thanks for the idea, mom!"

Delia smiled back. "Well, with both you and Latias - oops, dear me, you and _Laura_ able to come back to the Professor's lab so quickly, it seemed like a great idea for you to come over for at least this holiday!"

 _"I didn't appreciate the journey,"_ Pikachu muttered. _"Being in a Pokéball for even long enough to get here from Unova was kind of annoying..."_

"You'll have to head back that way, too," Delia pointed out, and Pikachu groaned. "Anyway - Ash, you know why I'd like to have you two here tonight?"

Ash frowned. "Uh... well, I guess for trick-or-treating?"

"That's right," his mother smiled. "It's the holiday Zorua and Zoroark love!"

"It is pretty fun," Ash agreed.

"What did you go as last time?" Latias asked.

"Well, I actually disguised myself as Lucario," Ash told her. "I was wondering if I should just try no illusion at all this year, I'm big enough to look about right for a human..."

"Actually," Delia said, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

* * *

There was a knocking sound at the door. "Trick or treat!"

Elana opened the door. "Who is - oh, I say!"

"Latias!" the one on the left squeaked.

The one on the right wobbled slightly, then steadied himself by the arm around his shoulder. "Latios!"

"I see there's two Legendary Pokémon in town!" Elana said, smiling. "Very impressive costumes!"

"Thanks," the one in the Latios costume said, and Elana hid a chuckle as she recognized the voice. "Trick or treat!"

"I certainly don't want to be tricked by a Latias and a Latios," Elana said. "Here you go!"

* * *

"I feel exhausted," Ash said, slumping back as Latias eased off from supporting him by the shoulder. "Thanks for holding me up all night, Latias."

"Well, you should really learn to levitate," Latias twitted him, then giggled.

Ash glanced around, then switched straight back to his normal human form in a subdued flicker of blue light. "I'm not sure I _can_ learn.. unless..."

Latias noticed the look in his eye. "I guess you've worked something out?"

"Kind of," Ash replied. "I'm wondering if I can learn Copycat... that way, I can use Magnet Rise..."

He rummaged through his bag. "Hey, Latias - I've got some Turkish Delight in here!"

"Swap you for the peanut butter cups!" Latias replied immediately.

They exchanged a nod, then switched the sweets and kept looking.

"Ash?" Latias added softly.

Ash looked around, and Latias gave him a gentle kiss. "Thank you," she said. "This was a great night."

* * *

87: (Battle Frontier)

* * *

"Wow, Mrs. Ketchum!" Max said, looking at the photos all over the walls. "Are all these your Pokémon?"

Delia chuckled. "No, Max, they're not."

"Whose are they, then?" May asked. "Does Professor Oak have all these Pokémon?"

She pointed. "I've never even heard of that one before."

"That's a Mienfoo," Delia explained. "And no, they're not his, either."

She tapped the border of one photo. "This one's got a painted border - they're all either painted or plain, or sometimes both. Can you tell the difference?"

For a couple of minutes, the Maples examined the pictures.

"It looks like the ones which are both have two Pokémon in," Max said. "So some of them are yours and some of them are someone elses'?"

"I got the drinks!" Ash called from the kitchen. "May, you like lemonade, right?"

"Ash, can you explain the photos to your friends?" Delia asked.

"Huh?" Ash frowned, then realized what she meant. "Oh, right. The painted ones are you, right?"

"That's right," Delia confirmed.

"So some of them _are_ your Pokémon!" Max nodded to himself.

May frowned. "Wait a moment..."

Delia smirked, snapped her fingers, and dropped her illusion with a flourish.

"Ash, your mom's a-" Max began, then blinked. "...oh, yeah. Of course she is..."

"So all these pictures are you or Ash?" May said, looking at them in a new light. "Neat!"

* * *

88: (Sinnoh)

* * *

"So... uh..." Ash looked a bit lost. "You called me a prince of the blood... what does that mean?"

 _"A fine question indeed,"_ Artur said. _"In simple terms, it means one who is descended from the king or queen."  
_  
"Yeah, the Lucario who met us - Bors - said that," Ash agreed. "But he didn't really say that it meant. I mean, do I have to do something? Or-"

 _"Ah, I can set your mind at rest,"_ Artur smiled. _"It's an honorific, no more than that - family is important, but it is a heritage to celebrate far more than it is a burden to bear."  
_  
"That sounds sensible," Dawn said. "I mean, it'd be kind of annoying to suddenly have a job because of who your father was..."

 _"I was trained for my task for some years,"_ Artur said. _"And even then I have advisors, because no Pokémon is infallible."  
_  
"Right!" Ash agreed. "But - I did have another question too. You said the king _or_ queen, how does that work?"

Artur shrugged. _"It is a curiosity, nothing more. Gwynevar and I are married, but she and Launcelat love one another dearly as well."  
_  
"That sounds like a recipe for disaster," Brock said, wincing.

 _"No, we discussed it and it all worked out quite nicely,"_ Artur corrected. _"It was, verily, rather embarrassing... but no harm done."_

The Lucario from Cameran, silent until now, spoke up. _"Why do you talk like that?"_ he asked.

Artur shrugged. _"It sounds good."_

* * *

89: (Voice of the Forest)

* * *

Celebi exploded out of the water, a healthy glow surrounding her. _Woo-hoo!  
_  
"This is amazing!" Sammy said, arms out to his side as she carried him along. "Isn't it just wonderful, Ash?"

No reply.

"Ash?" he repeated, glancing to his side.

No reply - no _Ash.  
_  
"Where did Ash go?" he asked, frowning. "Celebi?"

 _I was carrying him,_ Celebi muttered to herself. _What went wrong...  
_  
Ash emerged, sputtering, from the shallow water. "What just happened?" he asked, coughing. "Suddenly you just dropped me!"

 _It wasn't my fault,_ Celebi said huffily. _I didn't stop.  
_  
Ash blinked, then took a breath and dove underwater again. He quickly got too deep to be seen, and stayed down for quite a long time.

"...Ash?" Sammy asked, floating in mid-air. "Any idea what's going on?"

Celebi shrugged.

Pikachu reached the shore and shook his fur out, saying something that sounded irritated.

A moment later, Ash burst back out of the water. "Got it!"

"Got what?" Sammy asked.

"...uh, never mind," Ash said, putting something around his neck. "Nothing important!"

* * *

90: (Unova)

* * *

"Get off!" Ash said, kicking out at the hordes of Durant.

 _"Yeah!"_ Scraggy agreed, from his position cradled in Ash's left arm. _"Leave us alone!"_

"You are intruders,"

one Durant said impassively. _"You must be defeated."  
_  
"Then just let us leave!" Ash replied, to no avail.

Laura arrived at the edge of the battle. "Ash!"

"Laura!" Ash called back. "Little help here?"

The disguised Dragon-type thought for a moment. "Okay, I've got an idea!"

Her eyes glowed, and she lifted the sleeping Axew safely into the air - getting him out of the way.

Then, still in her illusion, she skimmed into the air herself and turned to face directly down.

 _"That is not normal behaviour for humans,"_ one Durant blinked. _"How unusual. A Psychic."  
_  
"Ash!" his girlfriend called. "On the count of three, throw your pendant up here!"

Ash kicked a Durant in the chest, knocking it away, and grabbed at his chest with his free hand. "I think-"

Another Durant attacked, and he had to focus on getting rid of it.

 _"Got the pendant!"_ Scraggy reported, fiddling with the clasp and opening it.

"Good!" Latias replied. "One, two, three!"

Scraggy threw the pendant up to his trainer.

A moment later, a blast of misty energy shot down from Latias' collapsing illusion, and blasted all the Durant in the clearing backwards in all directions.

Completely unharmed in the centre of the blast, Ash and Scraggy blinked the flash out of their eyes.

"That was... whoa," Ash blinked. "Was that your Mist Ball?"

 _"Yep!"_ Latias agreed. _"Fun, wasn't it?"  
_  
"Kind of..."

 _"Hey, what's going on?"_ Axew asked, yawning - still in midair. _"Wait, look out, Durant!"_

"We know!" Ash called back up.

 _"I'll help!"_ the Dragon-type said, inhaling.

Iris, Cilan and the rest of the Pokémon arrived.

"Wait, what's Axew doing?" Iris asked with a frown.

 _"Oh-"_ Pikachu began, recognizing the signs.

Then a shotgun-blast of Draco Meteor erupted all across the clearing, expanding it considerably. Smoke plumed up, and before they lost sight of him Axew was seen going upwards rapidly.

* * *

Cilan coughed in the dust cloud. "I think that was overdoing it..."

Pikachu nodded, squinting to see through the haze. _"Ash! You okay?"  
_  
"Just fine," Ash replied. "Axew didn't get us."

There was a _thud_ nearby, and a faint mutter of pain.

"Wait..." Iris said slowly. "That didn't sound right... Archen?"

Her mostly-groundbound Flying-type gave a flap of her wings, blowing away some of the dust.

As it began to settle, a bipedal Pokémon about three feet high pushed himself upright.

 _"That didn't go as planned..."_ he said. _"Why did I go backwards so far?"  
_  
Ash's Garchomp came hurrying over and clapped Fraxure on the shoulder. _"You're really getting the hang of it!"_ he announced. _"Good explosion!"  
_  
"You evolved!" Iris said, running over as well. "Good job, Fraxure!"

"Just work on your aim..." Cilan muttered.

* * *

91: (Early Unova)

* * *

"This gym's different to any you might have seen before," Iris explained. "It's the only one I know of where there's a choice of _three_ gym leaders to face."

"That's... unusual," 'Laura' agreed, glancing at Ash. "Isn't it?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, most of the ones I've fought just have one gym leader, and all the rest had two."

 _"What all?"_ Pikachu asked. _"The only one_ I _remember was Liza and Tate at Mossdeep."_

"...yeah, them," Ash agreed. "Where's the gym?"

"Over there, in that restaurant," Iris pointed. "The gym leaders run the restaurant."

Ash nodded, started forward - then stopped, and frowned.

"Laura?" he asked.

The disguised Legendary turned to him. "What is it, Ash? Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just..." Ash indicated the restaurant. "I just realized - our date back in Coronet City got kind of wrecked. Should we have another try at a first proper date?"

Laura blinked, then nodded. "That sounds like a great idea!"

"All right, then!" Ash agreed, enthusiastically. "Let's see what there is!"

Iris pointed to Ash, then Laura, then back to Ash. "I... wait a moment. You're a Latias, you're a Zoroark..."

Both of them looked back at her.

"Yeah?" Ash agreed. "So?"

"Well..." Iris looked uncertain. "You're _Pokémon_. And you're going on a date?"

"I don't see the problem," Laura said.

"Yeah, I mean..." Ash shrugged. "Brock always tried to get girls to go on a date with him."

"But... Brock's human..."

Iris thought about just _how_ much her new friends tried to fit in as humans - largely succeeding, she hadn't even noticed until told in both cases - and sighed. "Okay, fine..."

* * *

"This is really good," Ash said, taking another forkful of the thick, creamy risotto dish. "What do you think of yours, La-aura?"

His (official) girlfriend smiled back. "I think it's lovely," she said. "I think it's especially lovely to have it with you, as well."

Iris, sitting at another table, tried not to react to the sappy comment.

"What did you get again?" Ash added.

"Mine's stuffed celery sticks," Laura said, biting into one. "Want to try some?"

"Yeah, that's be nice," Ash agreed. "And you can have some of my mushroom risotto, as a swap."

Laura smiled, and passed over the stick. Their hands met, and lingered.

Iris sighed audibly, but neither of them paid any attention.

"How long do you think it is until the Pokémon attack?" Laura asked with a giggle.

"A few minutes, at least," Ash replied. "I got Pikachu to stand guard outside."

"How are you enjoying the meal?" one of the gym leaders asked. "I hope it's a true crescendo of passion!"

"It's great," Ash told him.

"And I'm sure you'll enjoy the battle, as well!" he went on. "Which one of us were you planning on battling?"

"Well, I've got a Snivy and a Tepig, so I guess... hm," Laura frowned. "Who are you battling, Ash?"

"All three!" Ash said promptly.

Laura chuckled. "Should have known, Ash..."

They exchanged another smile, and Iris seriously contemplated having a walk until the gym challenge.

It was entirely too syrupy-sweet-Fairy-type in here for her taste. And to think they were a Dragon-type and a _Dark_ -type...

* * *

Pikachu blinked. _"Oh, wait, the Cerulean Gym kind of had more than one person there..."_

* * *

92: (Sinnoh)

* * *

 _"He's what?"  
_  
Lugia blinked.

Latios shrugged. _"Like I said. He's a Zorua. He came around to Altomare a bit over a year ago, and yesterday my sister mentioned that he'd been reminiscing about you. That's why I'm here, after all..."_

"But... hold on."

Lugia frowned. _"I'm_ fairly _sure he's the Chosen One... wait, Zorua are Dark-types, right? How did I manage to contact him?"_

"Oh, he wears this pendant which neutralizes his Dark-type immunity,"

Latios explained.

 _"I'm... very confused now."_ Lugia sighed. _"Well, the orbs responded to him, so I suppose he_ must _be the Chosen One."_

Trimming his wings, he banked over Shamouti, and Latios followed. _"How's he doing, by the way?"_

"Well, he's in Sinnoh, I think..."

* * *

Omake: Like a mirror

* * *

"Nice meeting you, Ritchie!" Ash smiled.

 _"Yeah!"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Nice meeting you, Sparky!"_

The other Electric-type grinned. _"It's been a pleasure meeting someone who understands electricity properly, none of Ritchie's other Pokémon can!"_

"Well, I guess Pikachu's enjoyed it too," Ash added, reaching up and scratching his starter just where he liked it. "I wonder if we'll face one another in the tournament..."

"Yeah, good question," Ritchie agreed. "Well, I think we might end up doing it if we both win our next matches..."

Ash shook his head. "I can't remember all that kind of information!"

Pikachu sniggered.

* * *

"We're not very good at the whole goodbye thing, are we?" Ritchie said ruefully, some minutes later. "I thought we were trying to stop having this conversation..."

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, that's kind of what's happened..."

Ash's stomach rumbled.

"...okay, now I think it's time for me to go!" Ash said quickly. "See you around, Ritchie!"

Sparky tried not to laugh as their new friends left.

After Ash and Pikachu were both gone, he frowned. _"I think they're out of earshot."_

"Good," Ritchie agreed, and Sparky dropped to the ground.

Straight down, passing through Ritchie's shoulder like there was nothing there at all.

"Carrying you for that long is hard," Ritchie panted. "I really need to buy a Telekinesis TM or something..."

 _"I don't think they have TMs for that,"_ Sparky replied.

His trainer shrugged, and his hypnotic illusion flickered for a moment to reveal his russet-brown fur and six curled tails.

"No more League challenges!" he added, reapplying the illusion. "It's too much effort to keep this up..."

* * *

AN:

* * *

Okay, a few looks in various places. Some of the home life of our favorite Dark-type foxes posing as humans (...to be fair the competition isn't exactly fierce).

The trick or treat costumes are _very_ good, though Ash needs a little bit of support.

Back to the Court of King Artur, and the Lucario take on the whole Arthur-Lancelot-Guinivere love triangle. Being nauseatingly sensible, they actually talked it out and came to an agreement.

Voice of the Forest, with Ash's pendant coming off in the water – confusing Oak quite thoroughly until he made a connection some three decades later when a troubled Zoroark named her son in front of him.

And how come Axew has been Fraxure a couple of times. Scraggy and Ash are both Dark-type!

Then we look at the first _non_ -interrupted date Ash and Latias have had. The one in Coronet City was kind of ruined.

Ash is still the Chosen One, he's just... not the shape you'd expect...

...and, finally, an omake. I don't think this should be actual canon, but it's too amusing to black-hole.


	21. Chapter 21

93: (Arriving in Unova)

* * *

"So, this is Unova!" Ash said, taking a deep sniff of the air.

His girlfriend poked him in the shoulder. "Hurry up, Ash," she said with a giggle. "You're stopping us from getting off."

"Sorry!" Ash winced, and hurried down the stairs.

Once on the tarmac, he turned and took Latias' hand - feeling the claws underneath the illusion, and smiling. "It's going to be great here."

Latias smiled too, and they both got out of the way to let Delia and Professor Oak get off.

"Now, you've got what you need?" Delia checked. "Didn't leave anything on the plane, either of you?"

She gave Latias a knowing look, and the Dragon-type blushed - her illusion syncing up smoothly. "Oh, you're right! Sorry, Ash, I'll be a moment!"

Ash let her hand go, and she dashed back up the steps - probably being a bit careless about _how_ fast - before vanishing back inside.

"What was that about?" Ash asked, frowning.

Pikachu shrugged. _"Beats me."  
_  
Latias emerged from the aircraft again, a parcel in her hands, and hurried back down. "Sorry, Ash, I forgot about this!"

Delia steered them gently away from the aircraft, to avoid getting in the way of the other passengers.

"It's for me?" Ash asked, blinking. "Sorry, I didn't know - I didn't get you anything-"

"It's okay," Latias replied with a smile. "Think of it as a League-winning present."

Ash nodded, still wondering how he could pay her back, and ripped the paper.

Inside was a hat. It looked kind of similar to the one he'd got back before he had Pikachu, but the Pokéball symbol was blue - and there were a couple of other, smaller, differences.

"Latias-" he began, a little choked up. "Thanks!"

"I thought you needed a new hat," Latias giggled. "It's about the only thing you're actually wearing..."

Ash reached out and hugged her with one arm, swapping his Sinnoh hat for the new one with the other. "I love it," he said. "That's a great gift!"

Delia smiled. "Oh, Ash?" she added. "Don't forget to get into the habit of calling her _Laura_."

"Right," Ash agreed, still smiling. "I will!"

* * *

94: (Unova)

* * *

"Litwick, huh?" Ash asked, flipping his Pokédex open. "What are they like?"

 _Litwick,_ the Pokédex reported, _the Candle Pokémon. Litwick appear to be helping guide people with the flames on... their..._

The sound distorted and stopped, and Ash's Pokédex went blank.

"Did you forget to charge it, Ash?" Laura asked, looking at it.

"...you have to charge Pokédexes?" Ash asked, chuckling nervously.

"Well, I assume so..."

 _"Oh, give it here, I'll do it,_ " Pikachu said, rolling his eyes. _"Right, give me a few minutes and I should have it charged up enough..."_

"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said. "I've not met many Pokémon from Unova before."

"I can think of one Pokémon native to Unova I met a long time ago," Laura said, and the two exchanged a warm smile.

Iris made a quiet gagging sound.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, as Laura stumbled on her way down the stairs.

"It's nothing," Laura replied.

"Wait, there's no way that's nothing," Iris pointed out. "Ash, she shouldn't be _able_ to stumble, remember?"

"I was just..." Laura yawned. "Sorry, I lost control, and I kind of had to do the stumble-thing or... or Cilan'd have run into the back of me."

She yawned again, shaking her head, and Ash took her hand and squeezed it.

As the Lampent floated around them, along with the four helpful Litwick, Pikachu frowned.

The Pokédex should be charged enough by now - he'd certainly put enough energy into it...

He opened it and pointed the scanner at the Lampent.

 _Lampent, the Lamp Pokémon, and the evolved form of Litwick. Rarely, Lampent can be found... with..._

Scowling, Pikachu jolted more energy into it. There was no _way_ the battery could have run out that quickly!

 _...Litwick..._ _leading people and Pokémon to the Ghost World while stealing their energy,_ the synthesized voice finished.

Iris gaped. "So - they're why we feel so tired!"

 _"They drained the battery, too!"_ Pikachu realized, yawning himself. _"Wait... that means-"_

One of the walls of the room shimmered and vanished, revealing a swirling maelstrom of energy.

"It's the Ghost World!" Cilan said. "Look out!"

Iris, Ash and Cilan grabbed for the nearest solid objects - then Ash lunged to help his girlfriend.

As he did, her strength failed completely, and her illusion vanished as she slumped to the floor in a faint.

There was a flash of light as all the other Litwick evolved into Lampent at once.

"Latias!" Ash shouted, trying to reach her, but a ghosly wind snatched her up and whirled her into the bizarre Ghost World.

 _"Your most powerful fighter is neutralized,"_ one of the new Lampent said. _"Give in."_

Iris and Cilan noticed Pikachu was trying to crawl into a small corner.

"Pikachu?" Iris asked, puzzled.

Then she felt a chill.

Ash dropped his own illusion, and there was very little of the sometimes-childish lovestruck trainer Iris and Cilan had travelled with.

Instead, there was a black-furred Zoroark with blue Aura crackling visibly around his paws, and his red-striped hair seemed to glow faintly of its own accord.

Incongruously, he still had the hat.

 _"Night Daze!"_ Ash snarled, dark energy lashing out, and the Lampent abruptly went from smug to panicked as Ash _,_ for one of the few times in his life, got _really mad_.

* * *

Panting, Ash glared at the fourth Lampent as it wobbled to the floor.

Flames began to shoot from the fifth and final one, and he snatched the Fire-type out of the air before throwing it straight out towards the Ghost World.

A Dark Pulse followed, and there was a small explosion as it hit.

 _"Ash?"_ Pikachu asked, timidly.

Ash took a deep breath, and turned back towards the others. His illusion reapplied itself, and he sighed. "Sorry, guys, I-"

"Don't apologize, Ash," Iris said, as firmly as she could.

Something enormous moved out in the Ghost World.

Ash whirled, Dark Pulses crackling on his palms again, but then realized two things.

First, it was _Giratina_ out there.

Second... cradled on his back was a familiar pink-and-white form.

Ash had never seen anything so beautiful.

 _"Ash Ketchum,"_ Giratina said, looking him in the eye. _"I managed to find your girlfriend before she got too far. I am sorry about this whole sorry affair - Litwick, Lampent and Chandelure should not drain unwilling victims, let alone draw people into the Ghost World."  
_  
As the enormous Legendary swept closer, Iris spoke up. "Wait - Ash? Are you on first name terms with the God of Symmetry? But - how!?"

 _"I owe Ash Ketchum my life,"_ Giratina stated. _"And Latias here helped. I am glad to in some small way begin to pay off my debt to them both."  
_  
Ash gently picked his girlfriend up, and she stirred as he channelled healing Aura into her body. _"Ash?"_ she asked, eyes fluttering open. _"What..."  
_  
"It was those Litwick," Ash said. "They focused most of their attention on draining you, because you seemed like the strongest..."

Latias nodded, and then flung her arms around Ash's neck and kissed him.

 _"I will close this rift in just a few minutes,"_ Giratina informed them. _"I just need to make sure all your personal belongings are on the right side first."  
_  
Neither Ash nor Latias paid much attention.

* * *

"...wait," Ash said, frowning, as they left the mansion. "He called you my girlfriend... but... we last met kind of a while ago - remember, back with Dialga and Palkia and-."

Latias managed a weak giggle. "I guess it really _was_ obvious."

"Ash?" Iris said, slowly. " _How_ many Legendaries have you met?"

"Uh..." Ash frowned, and began counting on his fingers. "Ho-Oh, Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Suicune, Celebi-"

"Forget I asked!"

* * *

95: (Orange Islands)

* * *

"Whoa!"

Ash flinched back as the splash of water hit him, then grinned. "Looks like you got me - but take this!"

Squirtle withdrew his head back into his shell.

"...that's not fair," Ash muttered.

A great big wave of water hit not just Ash and Squirtle but Pikachu, Misty and Goldeen as well.

"Who did that?" Ash asked, swiping water off his face.

 _"Lapras did!"_ Pikachu sputtered.

"Okay, you asked for it!" Ash replied with a grin, and plunged underwater with a _plip_.

Lapras stopped laughing, and looked a little worried.

There was a blue flicker visible through the water, and then an orange-furred Pokémon over a metre long burst out of the waves on the other side of Lapras and launched a wave at him with both tails.

"I'd say you swam like a fish," Misty said. "But that's not a fish at all!"

Lapras splashed more water at his trainer - who'd traded his normal shape for that of a Floatzel - and managed to burst the illusion and reduce Ash to a small black-furred fox with completely soaked fur.

Not to be outdone, Ash picked a new shape and swam back into the water as a Dewgong.

* * *

"That looks like a lot of fun," Tracey said, pencil working as he sketched away.

Charizard _humpf_ ed, not trusting the water.

Tracey glanced up at him, wanting to involve the Fire-type, and then an idea occurred to him.

"Hey, Charizard?"

Ash's Pokémon considered him, then bent down to listen.

A moment later, a rumbling chuckle issued forth.

* * *

"Who's winning?" Ash asked, clambering up on Lapras' back. He was back to his customary form again, but he and Lapras had negotiated a ceasefire and alliance against everyone-else-put-together.

"You are, now," Misty replied. "But it's not going to be easy to stay there! Okay, Poliwag, you-"

Pikachu pointed up. _"Look out!"_

Charizard used Seismic Toss.

Snorlax, as a result, used Splash.

* * *

 _"I think Charizard wins,"_ Squirtle said, shaking his leg to let water drain out of his shell.

"No kidding..." Ash said, shaking himself out and spraying water everywhere - including on Misty, who looked annoyed. "Never get in a splash fight with a Flying-type that big..."

Charizard let out an amused rumble, watching as Tracey recreated the dive-bombing attack in pencil and paper.

* * *

96: (Sinnoh League)

* * *

Ash blinked. "A Zapdos as well?"

He raised his voice. "Think you can handle it, Pikachu?"

" _Sure!"_ Pikachu replied, cheeks sparking.

"Right!" Ash nodded. "Remember, he's Flying-type as well as Electric!"

Lightning crackled, and then Zapdos opened the battle with a smashing wave of Thunder.

Pikachu retaliated with his own powerful blast of electricity, weaker than what Zapdos could pull together but still strong enough to knock aside the bolt headed for him – then blurred into motion with Agility and got out of the attack zone.

Zapdos keened, wings beating the air as he turned to keep Pikachu in his sight, and both Pokémon fired out another Thunder attack.

The two attacks collided mid-way between Pikachu and Zapdos, sending crackling secondary bolts arcing off in all directions.

"Zapdos!" Tobias called. "This isn't working. Close range!"

Zapdos cawed in response, raising his wings, and then folded them in as he beat them – diving, trading altitude for speed.

"Drill Peck!"

"Agility!" Ash replied quickly. "And counterattack!"

Pikachu blurred into motion, running away from Zapdos – then made a sharp turn as the wicked beak was about to reach him, and swerved hard right.

Zapdos' beak missed, and Pikachu kicked off from the ground to reverse his course – meaning that Zapdos got hit in the side by a powerful Volt Tackle.

"All right!" Ash grinned, as Zapdos pulled up and away from his attack run with stray bolts crackling over him. "How are you holding up, Pikachu?"

" _Okay-"_ Pikachu replied, and then got into another crackling electrical war with Zapdos.

The small yellow mouse held his own for a surprisingly long time, forcing Zapdos to step his game up again and again, but eventually a gigantic thunderbolt blazed down which was too much for Pikachu to intercept.

He yelped as the current blasted through him, and was hurled several feet into the air before bouncing back to the stadium.

"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash called.

Pikachu shook himself out, and grinned briefly at Ash. " _Still here!"_

"I'm calling you back, Pikachu," Ash told him. "Even if you beat Zapdos it'll leave you exhausted, and I might need you for the rest of his team."

* * *

Tobias frowned at the words.

Ash seemed to be completely confident that it was a match that could go either way between Pikachu and Zapdos... and the crazy thing was, Tobias wasn't willing to dismiss it out of hand.

The next Pokémon interested him, though – a Gabite.

"Ground-type, of course," he mused. "Well, that's basically a wash against Zapdos... stay out there," he ordered. "And stay high."

Zapdos keened a reply.

"Signal Beam!"

"Right, use Dragon Pulse!" Ash ordered.

* * *

"His Gabite's quite a fine specimen," Cynthia said, smiling – remembering their last minute training. "Those are good, strong Dragon Pulses – and well aimed, too."

" _Indeed,"_ Gaheris agreed. " _Ash has chosen well. His fellows are worthy companions indeed."_

Cynthia could hear the pride throbbing in his voice.

"Those Signal Beams are powerful, though," she added, as the reddish beam of light scored a furrow in the ground behind Ash's dodging Dragon-type.

"Okay, Zapdos!" they heard. "Gain height – then use Sky Attack!"

* * *

"Easy, Gabite!" Ash said. "Remember what we planned..."

Gabite threw a thumbs-up to his trainer, then turned back to the high-flying Zapdos as it readied a powerful Sky Attack.

Golden energy began to form on his wings, spreading out to crackle at the tips, and then Zapdos let out a cry and dove.

Gabite's clawed foot scraped once at the ground, drawing three parallel lines, and his hammerheads began to glow faintly.

Ash judged the incoming attack.

Just a moment-

"Now! Dragon Rush!"

Gabite launched himself forwards, the blue glow on his hammerheads flashing out to engulf his entire body, and he charged directly at the incoming Legendary.

"Look out!" Tobias called – too late for either Pokémon to do anything.

There was an almighty BANG as the two attacks collided with stunning force, sending Zapdos down low enough he had to flap frantically to avoid crashing – and Gabite _up_ , high into the sky.

A white glow lit the pitch.

Gabite's hammerheads lengthened and spread, taking up positions further from his head.

His tail lengthened, developing a lower fin at the back to match the upper, and the blades on his forearms elongated considerably as his whole body expanded in size and strength.

When the light died down, _Garchomp_ was hanging high in the air.

"All right!" Ash called. "Keep it up! Get that overgrown Piplup!"

* * *

Tobias frowned, recalculating.

This was unfortunate – with a Garchomp instead of a Gabite, Zapdos' advantage was slimmer than he would like. It would probably be a good idea to switch out to the next member of his team.

As he thought, though, Garchomp used his next attack. Inhaling, he fired a blast of orange light straight down at the ascending Zapdos.

Tobias paled. That could only be-

The orange globe split, shattering into dozens of smaller and brighter rocks, and less than a second later Zapdos – backwinging hard – flew right into the cloud.

A cacophany of overlapping explosions overrode all other sound in the arena for a moment.

When they died down, Zapdos swept out of the smoke cloud – badly beaten about by the shotgun-blast of Draco Meteor, but still somehow conscious.

Tobias reached for his Pokéball, but Ash was quicker on the draw. "Pursuit!"

* * *

Ash breathed a sigh of relief as the tricky attack hit home.

Mom had taught him that one, and he'd tried teaching the idea behind it to Gabite – but it only worked about half the time, and it was basically just hitting the enemy rather than a proper attack.

It did what it had to, though, and Zapdos crashed to the floor just before Garchomp landed on bent knees.

"Great work, Garchomp!" Ash called, looking him over – trying to judge how tired he was.

Draco Meteor had taken a lot out of him, of course and so had the Sky Attack, but he looked hale enough.

Tobias returned Zapdos, and considered for a moment.

"Ash Ketchum?" he called.

"Yeah?" Ash called back.

"Your team is very impressive so far. You're the hardest challenge I've had all region."

"Uh... thanks!" Ash replied, deciding to take it as a compliment.

"But I think your Garchomp will have more trouble here," Tobias went on, and threw his next Pokéball.

* * *

AN:

* * *

Two bits in Unova, including one really near the start of the Ash-Latias official relationship.

The Unova hat, in canon, is the first one without a story behind it. So I gave it one.

Then there's one of the relatively rare cases it's _Latias_ in trouble, rather than Ash. These Litwick/Lampent are really kind of jerks... fortunately, Ash knows their boss.

Next, some goofs goofing. Lapras is kind of a young kid, and so they're just splashing about and having fun on some island somewhere in the Orange Archipelago.

And, finally... more of the Tobias match.

Tobias' team here is really, really powerful. About the only hard limit I put on was "nothing Ash has personally saved and which is unique". (That rules out the Creation Trio, the Lake Trio, Arceus and Mewtwo for a _start_.)


	22. Chapter 22

97: (Battle Frontier post-Mystery of Mew)

* * *

 _"The first thing you learn, when training how to fight, is how to punch,"_ Lucario said.

Ash blinked. "Uh... I'm pretty sure I already know how to punch things."

 _"You're both a Pokémon and an Aura Adept. The bar is higher."_

Lucario pivoted on his back foot, took a stance, and punched a tree down. Two or three annoyed Ledyba made their displeasure clear as they vacated the ex-tree.

 _"That is how you punch."_

Ash gaped.

"What's step two?" Max asked, following along.

 _"How to punch water,"_ Lucario explained baldly.

"...you realize Ash hasn't trained much in either ability, right?" Brock asked. "You might want to start a bit lower."

 _"Very well,"_ Lucario sighed. _"Basic Aura manipulation it is."_

* * *

98: (During the Meloetta arc in Unova)

* * *

Ash leaned back on the sofa, enjoying having a few hours off from adventure.

Cynthia's villa had all the trimmings, and most of the others were outside with Meloetta... but it was nice to just sit and watch TV, too.

"What are you watching?" his girlfriend asked, coming in from the kitchen with some snacks for both of them. "Gaheris told me you were in here."

"Hi, Latias," he said, glancing up. "It's a documentary."

"What's it about?" she asked, sitting on the sofa next to him and putting her arm around him.

"Me," Ash told her, pointing. "Look, that's the Johto league battle."

Latias smiled. "I remember that!"

She watched her past self, and cringed slightly. "I... wow, I wasn't very good at battling then..."

Ash hugged her with one clawed hand. "You were good enough for me."

Latias blushed.

"About you?" she said, as the program moved on. "Just your league stuff?"

"No, they caught a bit of things like when I met Lugia," Ash told her.

"Right," Latias said. "Do they know you're a Zoroark?"

"No sign of it yet," Ash replied with a chuckle. "And no, they haven't connected Laura to Latias either."

"I like it that way," she smiled.

* * *

Gaheris decided to speak to his son later.

Ash and Latias looked so cute on the sofa together, he couldn't bring himself to wake them up.

On the other paw, this was a perfect opportunity to get out the camera.

* * *

99: (After the Ghetsis battle)

* * *

"Ash?" Iris asked, looking up abruptly from their meal.

"Uh-" Ash swallowed his mouthful. "What is it, Iris?"

"Well..." Iris frowned. "I know you're the Hero of Ideals, but... how does that work? How did you become the Hero of Ideals?"

"I don't think I really tried," Ash replied. "I mean, obviously I stand up for my ideals, but everyone does that."

"Not everyone has much of an ideal in the first place," Cilan noted.

"Still!" Iris pressed. "There must have been something. Some reason why when Zekrom saw you it was just - that is my champion."

Ash shrugged. "I really don't know, sorry."

"Why do you ask?" Laura asked.

Iris was silent for several seconds.

"...I know you're Zekrom's hero, and N is Reshiram's," she said. "But... I kind of want to know if _Kyurem_ has one."

"I don't think he had one when we met him with Keldeo," Ash frowned. "And he was being mind controlled, not working for Ghetsis... actually, I don't know if he has a thing he represents."

"But surely he has to?" Iris asked. "I mean, even if he's just Dragons or something."

Laura picked up Ash's Pokédex and checked it. "Okay, let's see... Kyurem... aha!"

She hit play.

This legendary ice Pokémon waits for a hero to fill in the missing parts of its body with truth or ideals.

"...so it's both you _and_ N?" Iris asked. "Except that... wait, if that means becoming White Kyurem or Black Kyurem... he could do that without any help back when we were helping Keldeo..."

"Wait!" Cilan said, snapping his fingers. "Did you notice? He was _helping_ Keldeo become a proper hero himself!"

They looked at him.

"Oh, I see what you mean!" Laura nodded. "Keldeo lied by saying he was a Sword of Justice, and then ran away. He wasn't fulfilling either Truth or Ideals... but then he came to display both."

"Kyurem's a lot nicer than I realized..." Iris said, blinking.

"Just because he's an Ice-type dragon..." Cilan teased.

"Hey!"

* * *

100: (Several thousand years in the past, during Jewel of Life)

* * *

"What are we going to do, Ash?" Latias asked, looking worried. "Do we have to do what happened in history? Or... have we already changed it?"

"I don't know," Ash replied. "But I do know the right thing to do is to save Arceus."

 _"I remember when we left Pallet,"_ Pikachu mused. _"Back when as far as I was concerned you were a human dweeb I'd escape from inside a week. Now look at us..."_

"Wait, you thought I was a dweeb?" Ash asked. "I always thought that was Gary..."

 _"Not the point!"_

"What's your plan, Ash?" Latias asked. "Do you have a plan?"

"I sure do!" Ash said, pulling his pendant off and stuffing his hat and belt into his bag. "Okay, I need to transform into Arceus, then you levitate me using psychic powers - I'll put my pendant back on so you can do it - and then we trick Marcus into going after the wrong Arceus!"

The others stared at him.

"No," Latias summarized. "Think of another one."

 _"Why not just have Ash take Damos' place?"_ Pikachu asked. _"If he's not got his pendant on he's immune to hypnosis, after all..."_

"That could work," Ash frowned. "Or..."

* * *

"Marcus, stop this!" Damos shouted. "You'll kill Arceus!"

"I would do _anything_ for Fichina!" Marcus replied. "Even defy the gods themselves!"

"Then I'll stop you myself!" Ash called, and charged forwards.

Marcus smirked, and raised his staff to defend himself. This quickly turned into surprise, as he discovered Ash had a kick like a Ponyta and a punch enhanced significantly with Aura.

The sage was a tough, wily opponent, and an adult to Ash's teenaged form, so it took Ash some time to make headway despite his training. Eventually, though, he managed to hit Marcus in the side - knocking loose the Jewel of Life.

The next few seconds were very confusing indeed for Marcus.

Something clattered to the floor, but it wasn't the Jewel - and then the boy he'd been fighting was suddenly a small black creature that looked a little like a melanistic Vulpix.

The little fox snatched the Jewel of Life out of the air with its mouth, and then blurred in another flash of light to become a Staraptor and push past Marcus' hands with a cuff of strong wings - before flying off towards the ambush site. Towards Arceus.

"No!" he called. "Bronzong, stop them!"

There was a very, very loud DOOOOONG.

Marcus looked around, and saw - a strong-looking Lucario, who had just slammed his Bronzong into the wall with a devastating Close Combat.

"Heatran!"

There was no sign of the Fire-Steel Type at all, though crackling thunder and explosions were coming from down a side corridor.

Then there was a tremble through the air.

 **I AM COMPLETE ONCE MORE,** came the Voice of Arceus.

"No..." Marcus said, softly. His plans were in tatters.

And he had no idea _why..._

* * *

 **I AM VERY CONFUSED,** Arceus admitted, more softly now. **SO... YOU ARE A ZORUA WHO PRETENDS TO BE A HUMAN, SO HE CAN BE A PARTNER FOR MANY... WHATS?**

"Pokémon," Ash filled in. "You know - you're a Pokémon, Pikachu's a Pokémon, I'm a Pokémon..."

 **GIVE ME A MOMENT.**

Arceus frowned, and the air tore open in front of him.

Ash could just about see a Celebi through the portal.

 **SO THEY DO CALL THEM THAT - REALLY? HOW MANY TIMES? GIRATINA PERSONALLY? AND DIALGA AND...**

Arceus gave Ash a somewhat startled look, apparently still communing with the Celebi.

"Can I go now?" Ash asked. "I know it's kinda rude, but I do want to check my friends are okay..."

* * *

Omake: (Hoopa and the Clash of Ages omake)

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's it,**_ Arceus said, looking down at Ash. _**You've been doing it unofficially for years, may as well get the paperwork done.**_ _  
_  
"What?" Ash asked, a little put-off by how Arceus was somehow contacting him telepathically _despite_ his typing – he still needed to find his pendant, which had fallen off at some point during the second charge through the city. "Doing what?"

 _ **Basically you've been in loco parentis to about two thirds of Legendaries by this point. I'm not putting your girlfriend on the list, but aside from that you're now technically our guardian. For all of us.**_ _  
_  
Latias blinked. _"Pardon!?"  
_  
Pikachu began laughing. In fact, he laughed so hard he fell off the roof, and Latios had to make a somewhat hurried dive to catch him.

* * *

AN:

* * *

First one – if you're wondering, Lucario means Thunderpunch.

Then we have Ash watching TV about himself. Someone who's done all that has to have notice taken of him, and in Ash's case it's kind of a fun game.

They miss out a lot, see, including getting his species wrong.

Iris, meanwhile, has her interest in Kyurem warring with her issues with Ice-types. Interest wins.

Designated as the hundredth bit, we have Ash saving the creator of the universe. (Ash's life is kind of busy.)

And, several thousand years or six movies later...

The Clash of Ages bit is an omake – that is to say, it is not necessarily canon.


	23. Chapter 23

101: (Early Hoenn?)

* * *

"Waaa-choooo!"

Pikachu spun as he fell, and landed in a crouch. _"Ash, give me some warning!"  
_  
"Sorry, Pikachu..." the Zorua muttered, sniffing. "I don't habe – _have_ much warning myself..."

He sneezed again, and rubbed his nose. "I hate colds..."

 _"This one seems worse than usual,"_ Pikachu noted. _"I don't think colds normally make you transform back to a Zorua."  
_  
"No," Ash agreed, dabbing at his streaming eyes. "Maybe we should stay in the woods for a bit..."

 _"It would be a pretty terrible idea to sneeze that hard in a Pokémon Centre,"_ Pikachu agreed. _"Plus I don't want to sit on your shoulder until I'm sure... you know, that the shoulder's going to stay there..."_

* * *

102: (Orange Islands Arc)

* * *

"This is Pinkan Island," the Jenny explained. "These Pinkan berries grow here. They have the amazing – though temporary – effect of turning any Pokémon who eats them pink."

 _"Oh,"_ said Pikachu, dropping one. _"I guess I shouldn't..."_

"What's that?" Ash asked, halfway through his second one. "These are really good..."

"Ash!" Misty said sharply. "Are you sure that's safe?"

"I'm sure it's fine," the Jenny said, hiding a chuckle. "The berries don't affect humans."

"Right..." Tracey said, a little nervously. "How long do they last?"

"If a Pokémon eats them enough, the effect is permanent," Jenny told them. "But it takes a long time for that to happen."

Ash had dropped the berry he was halfway through. Now, though, he frowned and picked a few up. "Uh – can we take them off the island?"

"Why would you even do that, Ash..." Misty asked with a sigh.

"Well, they _are_ really good..." Ash defended himself.

"I... think it's okay," Jenny said, with a frown. "Just don't try to grow them, they don't travel well and they just kind of shrivel up without fruiting. We're researching partly to find out why that is."

"That's okay, I just want some of the guys back at home to taste them," Ash said. "Uh... hm, Pidgeot's back at Pallet... Misty? Can you get Starmie to get some of those berries down?"

"...fine," Misty said, after a moment.

* * *

"Why do you really want them, Ash?" Tracey asked, once they were back in their room for the night.

"Well..." Ash paused. "Pikachu, can you check the door?"

 _"Sure,"_ Pikachu agreed. He hopped over, opened it, and glanced out. _"All clear."_

"Right. Well..."

Ash reverted to his birth form.

Rather unusually for a Zorua, he was an even salmon pink.

"...okay, so I guess that works on you," Tracey agreed, as Ash went back to human guise. "But – well, I heard from Misty about the cross-dressing thing..."

"You don't know the half of it," Ash muttered, too quiet to be really heard. "No, it's actually... well, I'd like to preserve them and take them back to Pallet..."

* * *

"That was lovely, Ash," Delia said, sipping at the last of her tea. "That jam was very nice – where'd you get it?"

"One of the Orange Islands," Ash said with a shrug.

Delia gave him a sudden suspicious look. "I know that look, Ash Ketchum. You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

Ash nodded, and got up. "Yeah," he agreed, closing the curtains. "Mom – can you turn off your disguise for a moment?"

Mystified, Delia waited until her son had closed the last pair of curtains in the kitchen – then did so.

"...very funny," she said eventually. "How long does it take to wear off?"

"Uh... two days?"

* * *

103: (Recent-ish Kalos)

* * *

"See you later," Laura said, bending to kiss Ash on the cheek. "Don't worry, we won't spend _too_ much of your winnings."

Ash chuckled. "Sure you won't..."

"I'll make sure they don't!" Bonnie volunteered. "Serena said she'd get me something for Dedenne, so I've got to come along to make sure he'll like it!"

"That sounds good," Ash agreed. "Okay, Bonnie, that's your job."

Bonnie beamed, and Laura hid a chuckle. "Okay, Ash. We'll be back before your gym battle."

"Hurry up!" Serena called from the door. "The sale's already started!"

Bonnie grabbed Laura's hand, and the two of them hurried over to join their friend.

Ash waved, watching them go until they were out of sight.

 _"You're not really afraid for your money, right?"_ Pikachu checked.

"Of course not," Ash replied, shrugging. "It's not like _I_ need it... besides, I'm kind of glad they're away for a few hours. _And_ that Clemont's giving that lecture."

 _"Something secret?"_ Pikachu sniffed. _"You Dark-types are all the same."_

* * *

Glaceon jumped backwards, ice swirling around her long ears, and then fired a pencil-thin Ice Beam which crackled and burst into a Powder Snow halfway to the target.

Her opponent dodged valiantly, twisting to try to avoid the attack, but Glaceon was a maestro – and the Meowstic couldn't _quite_ get out of the way in time.

Engulfed by the swirling wind, the Psychic-type emerged from the snowstorm frozen solid in ice.

"And May Maple wins the final!" the announcer said. "Give her a hand, folks – she's all the way from Hoenn!"

* * *

"That was really cool," Ash grinned. "You know – what Glaceon did, I mean."

"Oh, ha ha," May said, sticking her tongue out. "Like we've never heard that one before."

"Hey, I thought it was pretty good..."

Pikachu chuckled, and May gave him a stroke. "Still the two of you, huh?"

"Pikachu's special," Ash said. "I don't think I'll ever take him off my team – even if he's hurt, I'll just battle with five Pokémon."

"About what I expected," May sighed.

Both Electric-type and hidden Dark-type smirked.

"Oh," Ash added. "Did you get it?"

"Sure did!" May agreed, reaching into her purse.

She took out a small box, plain and unadorned. "Here it is. You're lucky I was already coming to Laverre, you know..."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "You're a lifesaver, May."

"And don't you forget it!" May replied with a grin.

"Oh – how's Max, by the way?" Ash asked, slipping the box into his bag.

"Having a blast back in Hoenn," May said. "He only officially registered Ralts two weeks ago, but they're already getting ready to battle their third gym – Flannery, actually."

"Huh, fast work," Ash agreed. "It took Pikachu and me a lot longer."

Pikachu muttered something about Raichu and getting lost.

"Anyway, great to see you," Ash said, shaking May's hand. "Maybe you could meet Serena, she's quite an up-and-coming performer, too – she's got a Braixen."

"Those are _so_ cute," May agreed. "I prefer Fennekin, though – they're almost as fuzzy as you..."

"Hey," Ash protested weakly. "I don't _try_ to get the fuzzy shampoo..."

Pikachu stifled a giggle.

* * *

"So, how was shopping?" Ash asked, about half an hour later.

"It was great!" Bonnie said, with a huge smile. "We tried on all sorts of clothes, and I got Dedenne a magnet, and some special poffin mix, and..."

"...and I'm kind of glad Laura was along to carry most of the bags," Serena added. "We got a _lot_ of stuff."

"I can see," Ash agreed, looking at the half-dozen or so bags Laura was 'carrying' – in a suspiciously floaty way. "I hope it wasn't _too_ expensive... maybe I _should_ have come along..."

"It _was_ on sale," Laura said defensively, then saw Ash's wink and smiled.

"Put them over there," Serena suggested. There was a flumph as Laura promptly put down the bags next to their bed. "We can sort it out later."

"Okay," Laura agreed.

"Sounds good," Ash said. "You two can meet May, too-"

"May?" Serena repeated. "Your friend May? May _Maple?_ She's in town?"

"Yeah, she's actually staying here three doors down-"

"Come on, Bonnie!" Serena said. "Let's go meet May!"

"Sure!" Bonnie chirped, and the two humans rushed off to find and meet May.

Ash waited for a moment, then reached into his bag. "Now they're gone... Laura, I got May to bring something with her.

"You did?" Laura asked. "Why?"

Ash opened the box. "Happy Birthday, Latias."

Latias stared.

Inside the box, nestled on some paper, was a purple-red-flecked orb of clear blue stone.

"I still need to get a Key Stone," Ash excused himself. "But... this is a good reason why."

"You..." Latias' disguise collapsed in a flash of blue, and she slowly picked the stone up. "Is this..."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I asked your brother when your birthday was, and managed to get hold of one. I had to ask Celebi for some help, but-"

Latias tackle-glomped him. "That's so nice! I love it!"

Pikachu had to catch the flying Latiasite. _"Hey, careful with this!"_

* * *

AN:

* * *

The first one's inspired by the cold I had at the time.

The second one's a rare time Ash gets to pull a prank.

And the third one... Ash had to find out Latias' birthday from her brother. But he certainly picked a good gift!

The trick's going to be reverting once he's got that Key Stone...


	24. Chapter 24

104: (Late Unova/Delcore)

* * *

"Ready?"

"Kind of," Latias said, looking down at the shore far below them.

There was a cloud, thin and wispy, drifting across their view. Just to make clear that they were a _long_ way up.

"Okay, Unfezant!" Ash said, sending the Flying-type out. "Ready?"

 _"Yep!"_ Unfezant nodded, clinging onto Ash's arm for a moment before taking to the air. _"I'll keep them safe!"_

Ash took his pendant off, making sure he had an arm on Latias' wing first, and then passed that and his hat to the Flying-type.

"See you back at camp!" he said. "Okay, here goes!"

Ash and Latias exchanged a look, and a smile.

Then Ash let himself slide off her back, reverting to his Zoroark form as he did so, and Latias cut her levitation.

* * *

"This is pretty amazing!" Ash called as they plunged towards the ground. "I bet no-one's ever done this before!"

Latias grinned back at him, and her voice was whipped and distorted by the wind of their sheer speed. _"I bet no-one's ever done it quite like this, anyway!"_

Far, far overhead, the speck that was Unfezant headed for their camp – where Iris and Cilan were, presumably, shaking their heads at the craziness of their Pokémon friends.

"We're getting closer to the ground," Latias noted, looking down. "Well, to the water – think we should slow down now?"

Ash shook his head. "Nah, just a bit further... and... now!"

With a wash of heatless flame, Ash transformed.

He chose the form of the Pokémon he most associated with sheer speed, Pidgeot – and began to brake, wings flaring open as he dumped speed as efficiently as possible.

By the time he came to a stop, his wings hurt – but he was able to pull up in a U-shaped half-loop, climbing back into the sky.

Latias, of course, was waiting for him. She'd just _stopped_ in mid-air, almost effortlessly, as soon as she turned her levitation back on.

"Showoff," Ash teased, and got a stuck-out tongue in return. Then he flew above her, shifted to human and landed on her back with a smooth ease.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Shall we do it again?"

"Sure!" Ash agreed.

* * *

"Are we sure Ash isn't the hero of stupidity?" Iris asked.

Pikachu shrugged.

* * *

105: (Mid-Kanto)

* * *

"So, you see the problem," Duplicia said, smiling sadly down at her Ditto. "He's just not able to get the faces right, and without that it's obvious what he really is."

"That's pretty terrible," Misty agreed.

 _"I guess it'd be like if I couldn't use electricity?"_ Pikachu mused. _"Or, maybe out of only one cheek..."_

Ash crouched down. "Okay, the trick is that normally you don't think of a face as being what it really is, not when transformed, because you're looking out the inside of it. You need to start by imagining a really exaggerated version of the face and then tone it down a bit, I think – so, say, if you did Pikachu then you'd first focus on the cheek pouches... then the eyes, which you'll see are black and shiny? That means you need to make them shiny, rather than flat colour."

By now, everyone was staring. Including the Ditto.

"The mouth is the other really important bit. Some Pokémon have a big long muzzle, others have a flatter face. You can see Pikachu has a mostly-flat face, so you can start there – the nose is two little dots, but the mouth is quite important."

"Ash?" Brock began.

"Keep an eye on how his mouth moves when he talks, because that tells you where the places are where it moves _around_ the mouth itself – like how when a human smiles, you can see it even if you can't see the mouth. There's a movement up and out of the lines around the nose, then there's the cheeks which rise as well as the smile compresses them..."

"How the heck do you know all this?" Misty demanded. "That's a lecture!"

Ash shrugged. "I guess... it seems obvious?"

* * *

106: (Hoenn)

* * *

"Aw, come on!" May said, reaching over her shoulder and touching the sore spot gingerly. "I forgot to sunscreen that bit..."

She glanced at her brother. "Max, can't you-"

"No way am I helping you put sunscreen on!"

May sighed. "Fine, then... have you got that after-sun, Brock?"

Brock tossed her the bottle. "Here."

Catching it, the young Coordinator sprayed some onto her hand and rubbed the spot. "Ouch.. I really hope that's going to get better..."

She shook the bottle at Ash. "Do you need this, Ash?"

Ash gave her a look. "No? Why would I?"

May stared for a moment, then blushed. "Sorry! I forgot!"

"How does that even work, actually?" Max asked. "I mean... you can eat, right? So how come you can't..."

Ash began to look puzzled too. "I... I'm not sure, it just... works."

"Well, don't forget the clothes are an illusion too," Brock pointed out. "So if he did get sunburned it'd be his jacket..."

"...now I've got a headache," Max moaned.

* * *

107: (Whirl Islands, mid-late Johto)

* * *

"All right!" Butch said, clenching his fist. "We caught that Lugia!"

"You said it!" Cassidy agreed. "Now, we need to get it back to the doctor-"

"Hey!" came a familiar voice over the radio.

"Jessie and James," Butch said, scowling.

"An' Meowth!" another voice said through the radio. "Dat Lugia's ours!"

The two submarines began to fight over the cage.

* * *

 _"Is he okay?"_ Silver asked, looking down into the water. _"I didn't think... well, I thought it was just another Lugia, like me..."_

"We know Lugia,"

Pikachu said. _"And that wasn't a Lugia."_

"Yeah..."

Silver drooped. _"I'm sorry."  
_  
There was a splash, and a Totodile burst out of the water. It swam into shore, spat some water out, and transformed into a damp-furred Zorua.

"I got bashed against the cage," Ash said by way of explanation. "It burst my illusion. I don't think they noticed."

A bright light flashed through the water, opalescent and fierce.

 _"Yay, Momma's here!"_ Silver cheered.

"I wouldn't want to be any of Team Rocket right now," Brock said, holding up his arm against the spray.

* * *

108: (Tobias battle, part 3)

* * *

Tobias' third Pokéball spun lazily through the air, then opened and released his third Pokémon.

Ash winced at the sight – a Regice. "I almost think this guy has nothing _but_ Legendaries..."

Pikachu shrugged.

"Okay, Garchomp, hang in there!" Ash called.

Garchomp shot him a blades-up, then crouched slightly to face Regice.

"Hyper Beam!" Tobias said suddenly.

Garchomp shot forwards as the light grew – then jinked left, letting the blaze of bright yellow energy shoot past him and blow a divot out of the arena floor.

Regice sustained it, turning and tilting to catch Garchomp in the attack, and managed to just clip him before the beam ran out.

Garchomp dove forwards, and rammed both blades home in a Rock Smash.

"Blizzard," Tobias ordered.

"Get back!" Ash called, but before Garchomp could react a storm of swirling white engulfed the Ice-type and the Dragon-type.

When it faded, Garchomp was collapsed on the ground – covered in snow, chest heaving.

Ash reached out a Pokéball. "You did great," he said, recalling Garchomp. "Okay, time to give them a show!"

Charizard burst out of his Pokéball with a roar, wings hammering the air as they materialized, and swooped up to hover over Ash's box.

* * *

Tobias frowned, interested. The Garchomp had done better than he'd expected – an agile specimen indeed – but ultimately the tired Dragon had been knocked out fairly easily.

The question was... how good was this Fire-type?

"Use Charge beam, Regice," he ordered, and electric light stabbed skywards.

The Charizard dove, wings crackling as they shifted in the slipstream, and slid right before launching a roaring, seething gout of flame.

Tobias couldn't see the Fire-type for a moment, and nor could Regice – the Charge Beam continued, but when Charizard burst out of the _left_ side of the dispersing fire-cloud the attack was going nowhere near.

Regice rotated smoothly, trying to bring another attack to bear, and Charizard plunged past recklessly close before strafing Regice with flame and pulling up and away.

"Ancient Power," Tobias instructed instead.

The light pattern on Regice' eyes changed, and he fired a salvo of rocks up at the banking Charizard.

Most of them went wide, not surprising at such a height. The last-

Charizard punched it in half, sending gravel scattering in all directions.

Laughing, a roaring, deep sound, Charizard dove – then pulled up in a half-loop, letting the Ancientpower miss altogether, and fired down a roiling Flamethrower.

When that faded, Tobias blinked.

The grass around Regice was burning. More to the point, though, Regice was looking enervated by the attacks.

Of course, they had the elemental advantage. Still...just two attacks...

"Lock on!" he ordered, and light patterns strobed out through the residual smoke to paint Charizard's form. "And use Zap Cannon!"

* * *

Charizard's wings beat the air, and he pulled up in a half-climb before switching trajectories and dropping like a stone.

The sudden change of route didn't throw Regice off completely – but it did make it take a moment longer to retarget. Which meant it wasn't quite ready to fire when Charizard abruptly slammed two stiff wings into the front armour of his Ice-type foe.

Wings glowing with the white-silver light of _Steel_ Wing.

The jolt was painful, but Charizard didn't care. He grabbed Regice with both strong forelimbs and one rear leg, pushed off, and lifted into the air again-

Zap Cannon fired.

Charizard snatched his neck away from Regice's eyes, gritting his teeth as back-wash crackled over him, and climbed faster. He bathed himself in fire as Regice tried to use Blizzard again, then flipped over into a dive.

 _"Flare toss!"_ he roared, and released Regice a moment before impact. His tail whipped along the grass, barely avoiding setting it on fire, and behind him the Ice-type Legendary rammed into the ground hard enough to drive a crater into it.

Just in case that wasn't enough, Charizard banked around in a tight turn and engulfed Regice in a Fire Spin.

When the fire tornado cleared, Regice's eyes were dim. It was no longer fit to battle.

* * *

(Omake, just after the Hoopa movie)

* * *

"...so, that's my story," Ash said. "After the battle, Hoopa said it would be interesting to see how I reacted to... well, this, I guess."

Ash nodded. "Yeah... Legendaries, huh?"

All the Ashes laughed.

"What about you?" the first Ash said, pointing to the one sitting to his left.

"Well, pretty much the same up to about Delcore," Ash told him. "That's when I got thrown back in time by Arceus to save the world."

 _Again,_ went unsaid.

"Did you get the hat and stuff from Cameran Castle?" the first Ash asked, and got a nod. "Wish I'd thought of that."

"I don't," the fifth one said. "No need!"

"I think you should wait your turn," the third Ash suggested.

"Fine..." the fifth one drooped.

"I have it too," the fourth one said, quietly. "Lucario was angry about it, but when he calmed down he said it was probably for the best."

"So," the first Ash asked. "Did you get any new Pokémon?"

The second one nodded. "Loads! Let's see... there's Dexter-"

"What!?" all four of the others asked, nearly in unison.

"He's a Porygon," the second Ash said. "And Riolu – that one Hunter J was after..."

"Oh, right!" the third one nodded. "My cousin!"

The others stared.

"I want to hear your story!" the fifth one said, and giggled.

"We'll get there..."

The second Ash frowned. "Actually, it would take too long to list them all, but one of the coolest ones is Lugia."

"Lugia's _awesome,"_ was the general agreement.

"Did you all ride him too?" the third one asked.

"Yep!"

"I did, yes."

"Flew alongside!"

Everyone blinked and looked at the fifth Ash.

"Let's move on so we get the explanation," the second Ash decided.

"Good idea!" the third one agreed. "Okay, so basically I'm a Zoroark."

"Those illusion Pokémon?" the first asked. "How come?"

"Mom's one too," the third Ash said. "But my dad was a Lucario... anyway, look!"

His illusion flickered and vanished.

"Cool!"

"Wait," another asked. "Does that mean you evolved?"

"Sure did!" the third Ash said, briefly becoming a Zorua before returning to being an Ash.

"When did that happen?" the second asked. "Middle of a battle?"

"It was when I realized I loved Laura – Latias, that is," the third one told him.

There was a pause.

"...wait, you have a girlfriend?" the first one asked. "Isn't that kind of sappy?"

"Sappy's good," the third one said, with a slightly foxy smile.

"My turn, my turn!" the fifth one said. "I'm a Pokémon too!"

With a slight _pop_ , a Mew was hovering there. "Mom adopted me! I'm pretty sure Mewtwo's my cousin, too..."

* * *

About ten metres away, five near-identical yellow rodents nodded.

" _So, it's agreed,"_ one said – distinguished by his slightly off-colour cheeks. " _No matter what universe, no matter what species, our Ash Ketchum has the kind of luck that defies description."_

" _Yep,"_ another agreed – this one with one of Ash's old hats. " _I was convinced when we'd all saved the Creator of the Universe. Possibly twice."_

* * *

AN:

* * *

Few more this time, cleaning up some older ones I missed putting in.

We've got... some nice romantic skydiving. (Yes, they're both a bit crazy.)

Then there's Ash helping out a fellow shapeshifter. Not that the fellow knows he _is_ a fellow.

A bit of confusing questioning in Hoenn.

Some trickery in Johto, then part three of the Tobias battle at the Sinnoh League tournament.

And, finally, a crossover-y omake.

(There's five Ashes here – canon-Ash, Ashes-of-the-past Ash, Master-Pokémon Ash, a variant where Ash captured-and-saved Lucario at the Tree of Beginning, and finally one where Ash is a young Mew.

Because of reasons, they've _all_ had crazy lives.)


	25. Chapter 25

109: (Keldeo movie)

* * *

"I knew Keldeo could do it!" Ash said loyally.

The ground trembled.

"...uh..." Cilan began. "Is that a good sign?"

 _"The mine is collapsing!"_ Virizion said. _"We need to get out of here!"_

She turned to her fellow Swords. _"Cobalion, Terrakion! We'll need to-"_

There was a whoosh.

 _"I think they don't need our help,"_ Terrakion said, watching as a pink-white form carried two humans out of the cave - one in each arm.

 _"Did we miss the bit where one of them was a Latias?"_ Cobalion asked.

"Come on, Keldeo!" Ash's voice said, and the Swords turned to look.

A Garchomp lifted the exhausted Keldeo into a ruck-sack carry, supervised by a hovering Pidgeotto.

 _"I think I've got him!"_ the Garchomp said, after a moment.

"Great!" said the Pidgeotto. "Come on, follow me!"

Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion watched as the Dragon-type blurred out of the mine.

 _"...and now we're the only ones it's about to fall on,"_ Cobalion said. _"I suggest we run."_

* * *

110: (Early-mid Kalos)

* * *

 _"A-ha-ha!"_ announced a shiny Hawlucha, looming ominously over a Snubbull. _"You're mine now, my-"  
_  
"Hey, stop it!" Ash shouted. He reached for a Pokéball, but before he could send out his Water-type someone ran over and waved his hands.

"What's wrong?" Clemont asked. "Isn't this-"

"It's a rehearsal!" the man explained. "You nearly wrecked it!"

"Good thing we followed my plan," Laura pointed out. "Or we'd have just flattened him with Pikachu and Boldore."

"I know..." Ash agreed, sighing. "You were right. But I was going to use Garchomp too..."

"What are you rehearsing for?" Bonnie asked.

"Oh - it's a Pokémon Super Battle Show," the man explained. "There's a script, and there's a Pokémon battle - it's great! Really dramatic!"

Ash and Laura exchanged glances.

"Sounds fun!" Ash agreed. "I bet - actually, what Pokémon would you _really_ like to have taking part? I've got quite a lot..."

* * *

"Well," the man smiled. "I'm sure you won't be able to get what I _really_ want."

"Try him," Laura suggested.

"Well - oh, sorry, I'm Carl -" the man said. "And - what I'd really like is to have another Hawlucha to go with my shiny one."

"I can do that," Ash agreed.

"Good," Carl smiled. "And it'd be nice to have a dragon-type or two as well."

"I can-" Ash began, thinking of Garchomp.

"Two powerful Dragon-types, for a spar in the air!" Carl continued. "And then - and then, for a conclusion, the rarest and most powerful Pokémon I can manage, to come down and call an end to the fighting!"

Both disguised Pokémon exchanged another glance.

"Yeah, I think we can do that," Ash said. "But it might take a while to get hold of them. An hour or two."

"If you can do it by this evening, we'll have time to rehearse!" Carl said, with a smile.

* * *

"Ash, you're not seriously thinking-" Serena began.

"Yeah, actually," Ash replied. "Okay, Laura - what do you think? Do you want to take part?"

"Sure!" Laura agreed. Looking around, she cancelled her illusion. "It sounds fun!"

"But won't it be obvious you're missing from the crowd?" Clemont asked.

Ash gestured, making a shimmering pattern in the air behind his hand, and an illusory Laura appeared next to him.

"I can do this pretty well now," Ash explained. "It's so I can send out Latias when Laura's in the crowd."

"...your idea of how words work is a bit strange," Clemont sighed. "You know they're the same-"

"Of course they're not!" Latias giggled. "I'm Latias, and Laura is Ash's pretty girlfriend!"

Bonnie nodded. "Makes sense to me!"

"Okay," Clemont said, blinking.

"I'm still not sure where to get the other Dragon-type, though..." Ash admitted. "Maybe I should ask N if he knows where Zekrom is..."

* * *

"...the point is, you're only supposed to make it _look_ like you're defeating him," Laura explained patiently.

Zekrom's head tilted.

 _"But it is very obvious that I have defeated him if he is in a ten foot crater,"_ he said.

"Yes, but then you're _actually_ defeating him," Laura said, as behind her Lucario and Hawlucha prised Gallade out of the ground. "Just... tone it down, okay?"

She smiled. "We are glad you're here, though - it's lucky that you turned out to be so close."

 _"That is absolutely what it is,"_ Zekrom agreed quickly. _"So... you want me to just hit him not very hard?"_

"Or just _look_ like you're hitting him," Laura amended. "That would do too."

Zekrom gave a slow - very slow - nod.

"Okay, let's try again!" Laura added. "Uh... is Gallade ready?"

The shiny Hawlucha examined his fellow actor with care.

 _"Maybe?"_ he said, shrugging. _"We may want a ten minute break."_

* * *

Gallade's blades shone with righteous fury. _"Foul beast and your dread master! Begone!"_

Dark Hawlucha stood up and posed, as Zekrom swept down out of the sky. _"I am master here now, Gallade - either get out of the way, or face the consequences."_

Gallade just set his stance, and behind him Snubbull took several prudent steps back.

 _"So be it,"_ Dark Hawlucha announced grandly, gesturing. _"Deal with him."_

A Draco Meteor hammered down, blasting a series of huge craters in the stage.

Thankfully for the performer, Zekrom had finally got the idea, and the explosions formed a semicircle around Gallade which obscured him from the audience without actually hitting him. The blast was still enough to hurl him off his feet, but overall it looked quite good.

Dark Hawlucha laughed theatrically, then jumped off Zekrom's back and flew down to the ground. _"And now that_ he _is dealt with..."_

"Flying Press!"

The Shiny Hawlucha jumped back, just avoiding being hit by a high-speed attack from Ash's own Hawlucha. _"What?"  
_  
Ash's Hawlucha jumped right back into the air, and Latias swept through to pick him up. _"Your evil reign ends here!"_

"Oh, come on, give me five minutes at least!"

the Shiny called, to snickers from the Pokémon in the crowd. Then he jumped back onto Zekrom, and the two Dragons began to rise into the air and exchange very powerful attacks which all exploded before arriving on target.

After three or four passes, both Hawlucha got in on the act - jumping off and fighting in mid-air for a few seconds, before their respective mounts picked them up again as they separated.

It was all very impressive.

Snubbull watched, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, then raised her voice. _"Stop!"_ she called. _"Please - let it all stop!"  
_  
All four flying Pokémon stopped, looking down, then up at the sky as the clouds parted. (Courtesy of a Sunny Day from Bulbasaur.)

* * *

"I kind of hope this works," Ash muttered, then changed.

Unfezant placed his pendant around his neck - and, just a moment later, Ash felt Latias' telekinesis catch him.

"Okay, here goes!"

* * *

Jaws dropped all around the audience.

Two Legendary Pokémon had been astonishing enough - but this was something else entirely.

Slowly, with a floating gait as He 'walked' in the air, Arceus decended from the heavens.

The dragons drew back as He passed between them, and Arceus landed with a soft _click_ of hooves on the arena floor.

"LET THERE BE NO MORE FIGHTING!" He said, in a loud voice.

After a moment, the Dark Hawlucha took off from his dark mount.

Flying down in a slow spiral, he landed before Arceus' hoof and bowed.

Arceus examined the shiny Pokémon, then looked up at his non-shiny counterpart - who, after a pause, flew down as well.

As both bowed together, Arceus examined them. Then He looked up, and vanished like a dream.

The crowd went wild, and no-one noticed the Diglett scoot off near ground level.

* * *

"Marvellous!" Carl pronounced. "How did you _do_ that?"

"Special effects," Laura summarized.

* * *

111: (A Special Day in Kalos)

* * *

"...really?"

"Yeah!" Ash said. "Why not?"

Serena frowned. "Can't you get someone else to do it?"

A pause. "Anyone else?"

"Well, I'm going to be busy," Laura said. "And so is Ash."

Sawsbuck's hoof tapped on the ground as he shook his antlers.

"What about... uh..." Serena searched for options. "Do you two seriously not have any Pokémon who can look right?"

"Not apart from us," Ash replied. "And Clemont's going to be here."

Serena sighed. "Fine," she said, and took the bundle of furs.

* * *

Bonnie looked up. "Clemont?"

"What is it, Bonnie?" Clemont asked, putting down his Blizzard Gear - a machine to make it snow on command, theoretically, but which was currently producing clouds of fine white sugar instead.

"I can hear something," Bonnie said, frowning. "It sounds kind of like... uh... bells?"

As she said the word, her face lit up. "Bells! Quick, let's go see!"

Clemont stood, and by the time he had his sister was already gone.

* * *

"Woooow..." Bonnie said softly, looking at the sight on the snow-covered lawn.

A pair of cervine Pokémon - a Sawsbuck in full winter coat and a Stantler - stood tapping the ground with their hooves, harnessed to the traces of a small but ornate sleigh.

Behind the sleigh were runner-marks in soft, crisp snow, stretching back all of ten feet before abruptly vanishing, and a thickly padded red suit which probably had someone inside sat next to a large bag of presents.

"Ho ho ho," said a comically deep voice. "Have you been a good girl?"

"...kind of," Bonnie said, clearly thinking hard. "I try my best, but sometimes I make mistakes."

The Stantler snickered.

"And I see you have a friend Dedenne as well," the red suit continued, reaching down to take a parcel a green-suited Cinccino passed up. "So this is for you, and this is for your friend."

Bonnie reached out her hands, breath steaming in the chill air, and took both wrapped parcels.

"And Merry Christmas!" the suit added, shaking the reins.

Both the deer looked up, and then began to walk forwards. The sleigh slid into motion just a moment later, rising into the air, and off into the crisp night.

"Wow," Bonnie said again.

* * *

"...can't believe how warm this is," Serena complained, stripping the second layer of red suit off. "I was boiling in there!"

"You think you had it bad?" Laura's voice came from thin air. Then there was a shimmer, and the sleigh vanished to reveal a Latias in a scarf. "I'm elementally weak to Ice! And I had to run my hands along the ground to make the runnels!"

Sawsbuck shrugged off the traces, and muttered something to Ash - who had already shed them by going through the form of a Joltik.

"He's got a point," Ash agreed. "It wasn't _that_ bad."

He glanced up. "Okay, Glalie, you can stop now."

Glalie's horns stopped their gentle glow, and the snow began to thin.

"I bet Bonnie enjoyed that, though," Latias added.

* * *

AN:

* * *

Interesting chapter, here, since it's all post-Sinnoh.

We've got a look at the escape section of Keldeo's movie, and two cases of Ash And Co Do Disguises.

(Latias being able to levitate Ash when he has his pendant makes it a lot easier.)


End file.
